ข่าวเศรษฐกิจและธุรกิจประจำสัปดาห์

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  The military regime’s dream of a paper industry built on bamboo plantations has turned into an expensive nightmare for the current government

  No, it’s not the lyrics to a hit pop song – it’s a propaganda tune from the State Peace and Development Council period that will be familiar to anyone who had the misfortune of watching MRTV in the mid-2000s. The military regime loved to trumpet its industrial and development projects – in this case, the Thabaung paper mill in Ayeyarwady Region (the lyrics say, “Thabaung, Thabaung 200 tonnes… pulp factory”). But like so many other state enterprises from that era, the mill is today more of an advertisement for incompetence and mismanagement than the modern developed nation that the generals envisaged. Built at a total cost of US$144.5 million, it’s actually three plants. There’s a 200-tonne pulp mill and 50-tonne high-grade paper mill, which were both built by China Metallurgical Construction (Group) Corporation and opened in 2005 and 2008, respectively, and a 60-tonne newsprint mill installed by Tianjin Machinery Import and Export Corporation in 2016-17. When the pulp plant opened in May 2005, Prime Minister General Soe Win was quoted in state media as saying that three quarters of production would be exported, and the rest would go towards meeting domestic demand of 160,000 tonnes a year and reducing reliance on imports. He declared that Thabaung “will become a region of paper and chemical zone creating a lot of job opportunities, and modern technologies will be disseminated”, adding that “such a gigantic project is beyond the reach of national entrepreneurs and paper industry is the one necessary for the state”.
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  An eco-lodge established on one of the most remote islands of the Myeik Archipelago aims to set a good example on sustainable tourism

  NOT LONG after leaving the bustling jetty at Kawthaung, Myanmar’s southernmost city, the traveler will find themselves surrounded by the hundreds of islands that make up the Myeik Archipelago; some are so close you can see in detail the different flora on them, while others are nothing more than blue-green shadows on the horizon. After five hours of cruising through the archipelago, the boat’s captain smiles and points to an island in the distance. “Ah, here it is,” he says, identifying Boulder Island. To the untrained eye, it’s difficult to see how he could differentiate any of these islands, so it’s a fair question to ask how this particular landmass is discernable from the others. The captain’s answer is simple: “I know it’s this one because it’s the very last one before there’s nothing but open sea,” he says.
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  The master plan for new fish and prawn breeding zones in Yangon is pending on Union level approval

  Some 10,000 acres of land near Twante Township in Yangon Region will be cleared for the farming of fish and prawns once Union-level approval is obtained, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said. The fish and prawn farming project falls under a broader Breezing Zones Master Plan, which allocates land specifically for aquaculture use. “The master plan will require Union-level permission to proceed,” said U Win Kyaing, Secretary General of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF). The plan includes investments in modern packaging and cold storage facilities, which will be used for export purposes. “The fisheries sector is one of the most crucial sectors of the economy. Therefore, we are now preparing almost 10,000 acres of land near Twante township for fisheries development. Once established within three years, the fisheries sector will be able to contribute to the country’s GDP by creating job and export opportunities,’’ said U Phyo Min Thein.
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  In order to boost the region’s export competitiveness, the Kachin government, Ministry of Commerce, and UK-funded DaNa Facility organized a product show and export promotion workshop in Myitkyina

  The Kachin government, the commerce ministry and UK-funded DaNa Facility organised a product show and export promotion workshop in Myitkyina over the weekend to boost the region’s export competitiveness. The “Kachin Regional Product Show and Export Promotion Workshop”, spearheaded by Dr Khet Aung, Chief Minister of Kachin State, U Aung Soe, director general of Myanmar Trade Promotion Organisation (MyanTrade) and Peter Brimble from DaNa, brought together business leaders as well as policy-makers from the government. The aim is to boost exports from Kachin and harness the potential for Kachin products in the National Export Strategy. The workshop focused on the roll-out of the Myanmar Private Sector Development Framework and Action Plan, which outlines government’s approach to private sector development.
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  State Counsellor and Union Minister of Foreign Affairs, Daw Aung San Su Kyi received the delegation of Japan Economic Federation to discuss the investment opportunities and business situation between the two countries

  The state counsellor and union minister for foreign affairs, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi received the delegation of Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) at the ministry, Nay Pyi Taw on Monday. At the meeting, they discussed the investment opportunities and key sectors as the volume and amount of investment of Japanese business are on the rise, giving young Myanmar workforce trainings accordant with the service sectors required in Japan and vocational trainings, more involvement of Japan companies' investments in the energy and electricity generating sectors in the future. The Japanese delegation led vice president of Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), chairman of Japan-Myanmar Economic committee, chairman of executive committee of Mitsubishi Corporation and and chairman of Marubini corporation is comprised of 40 members from Japan's leading businesses, transportation and construction companies.
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  Yangon regional government will cooperate with Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF) in reforming the current fish farming system to turn Yangon into a model for the fishery sector

  The government will cooperate with Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF) in reforming the current fish farming system in fishery sector, said Yangon Region chief minister Phyo Min Thein. He blamed little profit for results from conventional farming and called for better services in transporting fishery products through cold storage factories. The chief minister said the government was coordinating a project with MFF so that Yangon Region could become a model in fishery sector. The project would start in accord with the instruction of the union government, he added. Yangon has about 80,000 fish farms and half of them are running without licenses. But, coordination is being sought with the union government to take action against them.
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  Despite the higher costs involved, some businesses see positive impact from higher minimum wage

  The Myanmar daily minimum wage has been set at K4,800, which is a rise of 33 percent from the K3,600 workers were drawing previously. The change was announced by the National Committee for the Minimum Wage on Monday. The change comes after months of negotiations between business owners and workers unions. Before the current wage of K4,800 was agreed upon, businesses had lobbied for the minimum wage to be K4,000, while workers said they needed at least K5,600 to cover their daily living expenses. Despite the higher costs involved, some businesses see positive changes as a result of the higher wages. Daw Htay Htay, who runs a small local garment factory, said her workers have now become more responsive and responsible at their jobs. The labour-intensive garment industry is among those most heavily affected by the hike in daily minimum wages. “The workers are now becoming more responsible at work knowing that their wages will be higher,” she said Daw Htay Htay.
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  The legal framework regulating the mining sector needs to be reconsidered if Myanmar wants to attract responsible mining investment and address past problems

  "A fresh start, a clear policy vision, and simple laws to underpin it, are essential if mining is ever to contribute to sustainable development in Myanmar." The legal framework regulating the mining sector lacks consistency and clarity while the capacity of government and companies to monitor mining activities is limited, representatives from the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) said, arguing that a fundamental rethink is necessary if Myanmar wants to attract responsible mining investment and address past problems. Yangon-based MCRB yesterday held a press conference for the launch of sector-wide impact assessment (SWIA) on the mining sector. The report includes field research focussed on tin, gold and limestone mining in eight states and regions in the country, and is the fourth SWIA by the MCRB. There are few environmental, social and human rights protections in the mining sector, according to the study. Widespread poor practices prevail. Even at larger established mines, very few good practice examples could be identified. Extensive adverse impacts on the environment and human rights were documented across the country and different types of mining.
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  Myanmar Marine Producers and Exporter Association urged the government to negotiate with the Saudi government in allowing normal trade in marine export

  Myanmar Marine Producers and Exporter Association has urged the government to negotiate with the Saudi government in allowing normal trade as Saudi Arabia has issued a statement announcing the suspension of import of Myanmar's fish and prawn effective from April 1, according to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The demand was made by association secretary Myo Nyunt during the 15th regular meeting between Vice President Myint Swe and local businessmen. Myo Nyunt said that Myanmar exported fish and prawn worth US$25 million or 35 million yearly to Saudi Arabia through direct trade route or through UAE.
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  Central Bank of Myanmar urged the government to begin drafting a moveable asset finance law to improve credit access

  YANGON — The Central Bank of Myanmar has urged the government to begin drafting a moveable asset finance law so that banks and other lenders can accept collateral other than real estate. Central Bank director general Daw Than Than Swe told Frontier that such a law would lay the foundations for a dramatic increase in access to credit, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises. Although credit to the private sector has increased significantly in recent years, many businesses are starved of financing because banks only accept particular types of land as collateral. Under a moveable asset finance law, banks could also accept a range of other items as collateral, including stock, equipment and receivables.