This chapter contains an overview of the rules and regulations surrounding business and investment in Myanmar. It also features a legal viewpoint from Cheah Swee Gim, Director, Kelvin Chia Yangon.…
This chapter offers an overview of Myanmar’s tax system, examining how new laws and amendments are affecting the country’s business environment. It also features a tax viewpoint from U Win Thin, Chairman, Win Consulting.…
According to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism the number of international entrants to Myanmar in 2013 doubled to 2m from the previous year, with data showing that during the first half of 2014 a 40% year-on-year increase in arrivals was also recorded. The government is hoping to channel the industry’s short-term growth into long-term benefits for the country. In June 2013 the ministry unveiled…
Building a modern transport network will be necessary if the government is to accomplish its ambitious development plans, with a host of air, rail and shipping upgrades planned for the coming years. Major projects include the proposed $1.1bn Hanthawaddy International Airport project, which will be able to accommodate 12m passengers with a plan to increase numbers to 30m per year, over 10 times the…
Following years of poor governance, limited resources and international sanctions, much work needs to be done in order to bridge the gap between Myanmar’s ill-equipped public health system and internationally recognised norms. The government and foreign donors are ramping up efforts in the fight against HIV, malaria, tuberculosis (TB) and maternal and child mortality as well as the increasing prevalence…
While much ground remains to be covered in Myanmar’s industry and retail sectors, its progress to date is remarkable, given the country’s history and the challenges it faces in a highly competitive neighbourhood. Figures from the end of November 2014 show manufacturing coming in third, behind the oil and gas and power sectors, in terms of total investments received. Strong international support…
With a wealth of untapped geological resources, including the world’s richest jade and ruby mines, Myanmar is set to attract a flood of foreign investment into its high-potential mining sector. In the decades to come, mining is expected to be one of the top drivers of Myanmar’s economic development. Current growth is being driven by a number of smaller projects in metals and by a boom in tin ore…
An estimated 45% of Myanmar’s GDP is provided by the agricultural sector, which also employs 70% of the domestic labour force. Myanmar is well known for its rice and teak production, and is also a leading provider of rubber, oil seed, cotton, corn, chillies and pulses. A number of structural obstacles, including land rights, outdated techniques, inadequate infrastructure and low financing, have served…
The opening of Myanmar’s economy has led to a proliferation of mega-projects in the past four years, including the upgrade of infrastructure and the expansion of utilities. The government has embarked on projects to upgrade, broaden and build a long list of facilities, ranging from roads to bridges, seaports to airports, hotels to malls, high rises to apartments and hydroelectric dams to electric…
Myanmar is at the beginning of a telecoms boom, and consumers will soon have access to a plethora of new services that can fully alter the way business, social activities, education, and every aspect of society is run. Myanma SIM cards at one time retailed for $3000 each, severely limiting access, but as of 2014 citizens can connect their phones for just $1.50. The entrance of new players to the sector…
