ข่าวเศรษฐกิจและธุรกิจประจำสัปดาห์

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  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor is opening the Myanmar economy and growth is rebounding, though the risk of sanctions from the crisis in Rakhine State is causing some investors to pause

  The government of Aung San Suu Kyi is opening the economy and growth is rebounding in Myanmar, though the possibility of broader Western sanctions over the Bengali Muslim refugee crisis is nevertheless giving some foreign investors pause, according to a senior IMF official. Shanaka Jay Peiris, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) mission chief to Myanmar, said in a recent interview that initial data reviewed by the IMF indicated that some foreign investors were delaying final approval of projects until there was clarity about how the situation may unfold. “The numbers we have for FDI (foreign direct investment) aren’t showing it yet ... but foreign investment approvals are slowing down, so there is some indicator that going forward FDI may be weaker,” Peiris told Reuters following the publication last week of the IMF’s latest review of Myanmar’s economy.
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  The next round of oil block tenders will be held after a revision and review of the existing terms and condition

  Myanmar will review and revise some of the existing terms and conditions to its oil and gas contracts which pose difficulties to investors before calling for its next round of oil block tenders, one senior official from the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) told The Myanmar Times. “More important than calling for tenders is revising the existing terms and conditions to our contracts to be in-line with international standards so that it is a win-win situation for the government and investors alike,” he said. As oil exploration is capital-intensive and risky business, Myanmar should help to make investing decisions easier for oil companies by reviewing the relevant investment criteria and removing terms and conditions that make it difficult to invest in the country, the official said. “We must review the obstacles for oil and gas investors and revise them to make things simpler. We will negotiate and revise contractual obligations and review the legal framework to be more aligned with international practices and current oil prices,” he said.
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  Myanmar Strategic Holdings (MSH) and Auston Institute of Management formed a joint venture to set up a private school in Yangon: Austin is an operator of private schools in Singapore and Sri Lanka

  Myanmar Strategic Holdings (MSH) and Auston Institute of Management have formed a joint venture to set up and operate a private school in Yangon, according to an April 6 announcement by MSH, which is listed in London. As part of the agreement, MSH will provide the required funding, which is estimated to be around half a million dollars, for the private educational institution, while Auston will contribute the industry knowledge, curriculum and management capabilities. MSH, which is funding the initial capital contribution from its existing cash resources, will hold a 70 percent stake in the JV with the remaining 30pc being held by Auston. Auston is an operator of private schools in Singapore and Sri Lanka preparing students for careers in engineering, information technology and project management. To-date, it has enrolled around 5,000 students.
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  Members of parliament urged the Yangon region government to prescribe the appropriate legislation to govern industrial zone development, which will attract FDI

  With the Yangon region government aiming to expand the industrial sector by around 10 percent in 2018-19, members of parliament have urged the authorities to prescribe the appropriate legislation to govern developments in the sector, as this will draw much needed foreign direct investments (FDI). This includes the construction of new industrial zones. “Presently, management at the various industrial zones in Yangon are not standardised and conducted on an ad-hoc basis. A proper law is needed to hold the industrial zones accountable,” said U Win Maung, MP from Hlaing Thar Yar township. The lack of official legislation governing Yangon’s 29 industrial zones, which were established over the past 30 years, is deterring much needed FDI. “Even though we have been implementing the zones for the past 30 years, we cannot produce Made in Myanmar brands because we have no law,” said one businessman from Shwe Lin Pan industrial zone of Hlaing Thar Yar Township.
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  Malaysian state owned oil company PETRONAS plans to begin drilling development wells in north west sea, Myeik Township, Tanintharyi Region

  MYEIK- Malaysian state-owned oil company PETRONAS will be beginning drilling development wells in M-12, M-13 and M-14 in the north-west sea from Myeik Township, Taninthayi Region, in October, November and December. The company yesterday held a meeting with the public in Myeik Township before carrying out the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) concerning the exploration activities. Although some departmental heads and NGOs attended the meeting, no officials from Fishery Organizations, locals and CSOs attended it. “PETRONAS intends to drill three exploration wells again at the Yetagun gas field project aiming to increase oil production in Myanmar. So, they are going to carry out Environmental Impact Assessment. Before doing EIA, they met with the public,” said Myat Mon Swe, from ERM Myanmar.
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  Myanmar fishermen long for justice as Thailand’s multi billion-dollar seafood sector comes under U.N. scrutiny

  Sold to a boat operator in Thailand for 6,000 baht ($192) two years ago, Win from Myanmar worked as a fisherman until he lost his forearm in an accident on the vessel this year. Toiling for 19 hours a day, Win said the crew of 30 sometimes would not get any rest during peak season, with a United Nations team in Thailand this week to investigate such reports of abusive working conditions. “Life is difficult as a fisherman in Myanmar so I thought it would make my life better if I come and work in Thailand,” the father of four, 39, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “The ‘agent’ did not tell me what work I was going to do or how much I would be paid. I just ended up working on the boat.” The world’s third largest seafood exporter, Thailand’s fishing industry employs more than 300,000 people, many of them migrant workers from neighboring countries, and the sector has long been dogged by allegations of abuses.
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  Government plans to take back 5 approved palm oil plantation projects in Tanintharyi Region since the areas are not suitable for palm oil plantation

  After further research, it is found that all five oil palm plantation projects in Tanintharyi Region which were approved under the previous government, and after MIC and the Ministry of Resources and Environmental Conservation conducted ground examination in the area, they found that the area is not suitable for palm oil plantation. The Government is planning to take back the projects, according to U Aung Naing Oo, secretary of Myanmar Investment Commission. “As the appropriated area had large trees and bamboo groves, it is not suitable for oil palm plantation. So we have obtained the approval from the President’s Office to take back the project lands,” he told the press on March 22. The companies that received approval for palm oil plantation projects are located in Myeik District and Kawthaung District in Tanintharyi Region. There are two Malaysian companies, one Thai company, one Korean company and one local company. Among them Myanmar Auto Corporation got the biggest area for palm oil plantation.
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  Kayin communities and civil society groups urged the government to cancel all proposed and suspended coal-fired power plant in Kayin and across the country

  Kayin communities and civil society groups applauded Nay Pyi Taw’s decision announced last month to halt a proposed coal power plant in Hpa-An and urged the regional government to confirm the cancellation. Meanwhile, a total of 130 civil society groups issued a joint statement to urge the government to cancel all proposed and suspended coal-fired power plants across the country. On March 14, Union Minister of Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing announced at a press conference that the government will not grant permission for the proposed 1,280MW coal power plant. This decision has gained the praise and appreciation of communities and groups who campaigned hard against the project. “We are very happy and appreciative to hear the announcement of the Union Minister that this project has been cancelled. Despite our happiness at the result, we remain cautious. We hope that state-level government representatives will help reduce our concerns by following in the footsteps of the union minister and announcing their support for the project’s cancellation,” Saw Aung Than Htwe, a member of Hpa-An communities, said.
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  Key Progress on Illegal Ivory Trade Suppression in Thailand

  Thailand attaches utmost importance in combating wildlife trafficking, closely cooperates with international organizations and actively participate in actions to terminate ivory trade in Thailand. According to the latest analysis of the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS analysis), Thailand's status on illegal ivory trade has been upgraded from the "primary concern' to the "secondary concern" by CITES which was announced at the 7th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP17) in 2016. This positive development was highly complimented by CITES Secretary-General, The upgraded status comes as a result of the progress made under Thailand's National Ivory Action Plan (NIAP) in regulating ivory trade in the market.
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  Yangon plans to build an international sea port at the mouth of the Yangon River (U Phyo Min Thein, Chief Minister of Yangon Regional Government)

  Plans to build an international sea port at the mouth of the Yangon River, which will be strategic for Myanmar and its neighbours, are underway, Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said yesterday at the meeting with Vice President held at Republic of Myanmar Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industries (UMFCCI). “Singapore has not much production. But as it is a hub for the flow of goods, having a port and related supply chain has helped the nation’s economic development. For the same reasons, plans are being discussed to develop a sea port at the mouth of the Yangon River,” U Phyo Min Thein said. The current Yangon port is the most developed one among the nine ports in Myanmar and 90pc of local businesses use it to transport goods. Currently, most ports in Yangon are internal river ports. The only open sea port is being developed in Thilawa. Thus, more ports with strategic open sea access are required for the nation to develop, U Phyo Min Thein said.