ข่าวเศรษฐกิจและธุรกิจประจำสัปดาห์

• 

  Myanmar’s fuel market was opened up to foreign competition to great fanfare since 2017 which is in standstill

  In 2017, the fuel market was opened up to foreign competition to great fanfare – so why have investors stayed away? IN JULY 2017, Frontier reported on the longstanding frustration among drivers in Myanmar at the poor quality of fuel sold at local stations. Just a few months earlier, the Myanmar Investment Commission had abolished a requirement that foreign investors in the sector partner with the Ministry of Energy and Electricity. The larger local players were already aligning with foreign partners. “The long fuel lines at the few private stations with a good reputation could soon be a thing of the past,” we wrote. Almost two years later, though, there has been almost no perceptible change: few foreign brands, the same old complaints from drivers about price and quality. But a long-closed, profitable market has supposedly opened up, so why have investors mostly stayed away? Although there is no single answer, it’s certainly not lack of interest. Back in mid-2017, Shell, Total, PTT and CNPC among others were all said to be in the middle of talks with potential partners.
• 

  In partnership with the global technology company software group, Dawn Microfinance Company Ltd (DAWN) will provide efficient and affordable financial services to the people in Myanmar

  Early Dawn Microfinance Company, Ltd. (DAWN) is partnering up with the global technology company Software Group to provide efficient and affordable financial services to Myanmar’s people. The institution will implement a Digital Field Application (DFA) solution to improve operations in the field, streamline operational workflows, and improve convenience for clients. DAWN, one of Myanmar’s largest microfinance institutions, operates across six regions in the nation. It provides financial tools and education to its clientele of over 200,000 micro-, small-, and medium-sized business owners – most of whom are women. The institution’s loan officers, who play a major role in reaching the financially excluded, currently face challenges in efficiently servicing clients because of paper-based field processes, not to mention trips to and from various branch locations. With the adoption of the DFA solution by Software Group, DAWN staff will have more time to spend in the field, supporting micro-entrepreneurs and small-to-medium-sized business owners across Myanmar. This will boost sustainable growth in low-income communities.
• 

  German businesses are keen to continue fostering trade and investment ties with Myanmar

  Germany is keen to continue fostering trade and investment ties with Myanmar, said Oliver Hoos, first secretary and head of the economic and commercial section at the German Embassy in Myanmar. Mr Hoos added that German businesses are also keen to invest in the Myanmar energy and agriculture sectors, adding to the US$32 million worth of investments by four other German businesses in Myanmar to-date, according to the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration. The largest investment by a Germany company in Myanmar is Metro Wholesale, which has channeled approximately US$10 million into its business operations in the country. Metro Wholesale is involved in food service distribution for hotels, restaurants, catering firms, independent small retailers and offices. It is a joint venture partnership between Metro AG, the German specialist in wholesale food and Yoma Strategic Holdings Limited, which is listed in Singapore. Metro Wholesale procures its raw materials directly from local farmers.
• 

  Total 2,200 acres of land, Htantabin Industrial Zone project in the northern district of Yangon will be implemented in end of September 2019

  The Yangon Region government is planning to develop industrial zones in 10 townships, and the Htantabin Industrial Zone project will be implemented on 2,200 acres of land in Htantabin Township in the northern district of Yangon, where Hline, Kokkowa, and Bawle rivers meet. The industrial zone project was initiated in August, 2018. During a preliminary discussion between the Yangon Region authorities and a foreign company, 1,000 acres was designated for the project. After a feasibility study, the zone will be developed on 2,200 acres of land, which is located a mile away from Htantabin Township and near the point where the Hline, Kokkowa, and Bawle rivers meet. Prior to the project implementation, Naw Pan Thinzar Myo, the Yangon Region Minister for Kayin Ethnic Affairs, Hluttaw representatives, and officials of concerned departments met with the local residents at the Htantabin Township General Administration Department office in a bid to make the project transparent. After four rounds of discussions between the authorities and locals, the project received the support of the local residents.
• 

  Italy will loan with an interest-free €30 million (K51 billion) loan to Myanmar’s National Electrification Project (NEP) to facilitate electrification process

  Italy will extend an interest-free €30 million (K51 billion) loan towards Myanmar’s National Electrification Project (NEP). An agreement between the two countries was signed yesterday. The loan comes with a grace period of 18 years, after which it should be paid back within ten years. It was approved in Parliament in August 2018. The funds will be used to develop rural off-grid projects implemented by the Department of Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI). This will bring electricity via solar power and small-scale power systems to an estimated 96,500 households in 2019 villages in Chin State, one of the country’s poorest and most inaccessible areas, and Sagaing Region.
• 

  Japanese Government will provide the grant of 612 million Yen for Human Resource Development Scholarship project and social-economic development in Myanmar

  The signing ceremony for Exchange of Notes on rendering assistance to Myanmar by Japan was held at the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday. The ceremony was attended by Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun, Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance U Set Aung, Deputy Attorney General U Win Myint, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Aung Naing Oo, Director General from Ministry of Education and Japanese Ambassador to Myanmar Ichiro MARUYAMA and officials of the Japan Embassy.
• 

  Businesses needed the political stability in order to facilitate investment in Myanmar (U Zaw Myint Maung, Chief Minister of Mandalay Region)

  “In order to facilitate investment, businesses need political stability. And in that sense, Mandalay is the perfect place to offer this condition,” Mandalay Chief Minister Zaw Myint Maung told an audience of European investors and businesses. The European Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar (EuroCham) in collaboration with the Mandalay Region Chamber of Commerce (MRCCI) organised the forum “Business Climate in Upper Myanmar” on May 21. Many European businesses see Mandalay’s location and access to Upper Myanmar as a key asset but raise concerns about the opaque bureaucracy and shortage of skilled labour. “Mandalay is at the crossroads between big Asian players, like China and India, and [the city] could become a main trading and communications centre,” said Fabian Lorenz, attorney-at-law, Luther Law Firm Limited.
• 

  Thailand’s leading hotel operator, Centara Hotels & Resorts and Kaung Myanmar Aung (KMA) signed a MOU to begin the development and renovation of six hotels in Myanmar

  Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, and KMA Hotels Group, a subsidiary of Kaung Myanmar Aung (KMA) Group of Companies, have announced the signing of a MOU to begin the development and renovation of 6 hotels located at some of Myanmar’s most popular tourist destinations, all to be managed under Centara brands. Work on the project will begin in 2019, TravelDailyNews reported. This project will see three of KMA Hotels’ existing properties located in Inle, Naypyitaw, and Taungoo undergo refurbishment prior to reopening, and the development of 3 new hotels in Bagan and Than Daung.
• 

  Myanmar government showed their eager embrace of Chinese tech giant Huawei to participate in Myanmar’s future communication network construction

  As the U.S. government hit it with severe sanctions in its escalating trade spat with China, Myanmar government officials showed their eager embrace of Chinese tech giant Huawei, pledging to allow the controversial company to help build the Myanmar’s communication network. The pledge was made on Friday at the Myanmar Indoor Coverage Digitalization Summit 2019, jointly organized by the Federation of Myanmar Engineering Societies (Fed. MES) and Huawei and attended by officials from the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Fed. MEM. Despite the U.S cutting relations with Huawei over national security concerns, Deputy Director General of the Posts and Telecommunications Department, Ministry of Transport and Communications U Soe Naing praised Huawei for its “support and trusted network solutions for Myanmar’s communication network development.”
• 

  Myanmar fish breeders are preparing to adhere to Good Aquaculture Practice (GAQP) system to ensure Myanmar fishery products meet the regulations of European Union market and other importing countries

  As Myanmar’s farmed fish is now allowed for exporting to the European Union, breeders are preparing to follow requirements to ensure Myanmar fishery products meet the regulations of importing countries, including the European Union (EU), according to the Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF). To ensure the safety of all food, the European market requires suppliers to have Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Good Aquaculture Practice (GAqP) certificates. Myanmar has only a small number of entrepreneurs who hold those certificates, so, fish breeders are preparing for this. In a bid to meet EU import standards, fishery products must be produced by only those hatcheries that are compliant with Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP). MFF is working together with fish farmers, processors and the Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation, to develop a GAqP system.