Construction – and infrastructure development in particular – is expected to be a key driver of economic growth across ASEAN from 2021. The bloc, home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and lowest unemployment rates, faced the novel coronavirus after years of health care infrastructure improvements, with much of the group reporting Covid-19 case-fatality rates below the global…
– Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria are growing in significance globally – ASEAN member states are increasingly oriented to ESG standards across the board – Green infrastructure, social impact and transparency are among the keyfocus areas – Coordinated efforts to boost ESG could spearhead the bloc’s Covid-19 recovery Environmental, social and governance (ESG)…
– Super appsexplore inorganic growthoptions – Gojek in talks with e-commerce company Tokopedia over $18bn merger – Grab reported to be preparing for a public listing in the US – Food delivery and financial services increasingly important segments After a year ofexternal expansion and internal reorganisation due to Covid-19, South-east Asia’s super apps appear to…
Recent years have seen the issue of climate change and its ecological and economic effects move more clearly into the spotlight. It is now widely accepted that the planet cannot sustain current high-carbon industrial and consumer behaviours. With better and more reliable scientific knowledge on the subject available, economic models used to forecast the financial impacts of a steadily destabilising…
On the opportunities for and challenges to greater digitalisation during the Covid-19 pandemic What impact did Covid-19 have on Myanmar’s efforts to expand ICT access to a greater proportion of the population? SHANE THU AUNG: Strategies to expand ICT services continued in many ways despite the pandemic, partly thanks to the fact that telecoms services were classified as essential. Nonetheless,…
– Thailand and Malaysia led the region in terms of government stimulus – Key digital solutions were developed in food delivery, education, health care and finance – Despite falling globally, M&A increased in Asia throughout the year – Emerging markets in ASEAN stand to benefit from the supply chain shift away from China Closely linked both geographically and economically to China,…
On rising demand for energy and the importance of international investment How has the pandemic impacted plans for investment in the power sector? U ZAW NAING THEIN: The pandemic has had a substantial impact on the global energy sector, including that of Myanmar. However, since only around 55% of the population currently has access to electricity, the pandemic has not affected our business…
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was finally signed on Sunday November 15, on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). As well as marking a significant regional milestone, it is hoped that this deal will help its 15signatories recover from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. As OBG outlined in July, the…
Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, Myanmar's insurance sector was going through a period of rapid change following the entry of foreign insurers in 2019. Amid the disruptive environment of the pandemic, the fledgling insurance industry has continued to develop new distribution channels and services in response to shifting demands from the market. The country’s penetration levels are among the…
On boosting the local production of materials How will the pandemic impact local steel production over the longer term? SEBASTIAN LANGENDORF: Before the Covid-19 pandemic, 5% of the 2.5m tonnes of steel consumed in Myanmar each year was locally produced. We expect two major trends to arise after Covid-19. The first is stronger regional and domestic supply chains. Steel has a long value chain and…