ข่าวเศรษฐกิจและธุรกิจประจำสัปดาห์

• 

  In order to rehabilitate forests, government will stop logging for at least 10 years in Bago Yoma range, which is rich in teak timber

  Logging will be stopped for at least 10 years in the Bago Yoma range, which is rich in teak timber, according to director-general of natural resources and the environment Dr Nyi Nyi Kyaw. A 2015 FAO report found that forest coverage had dipped to only 42.92 per cent of the country’s lands, and Myanmar has the third-most depleted forest coverage in the world. All restricted forest reserves in the Bago Range will be transferred to the control of the forestry department, which falls under the Ministry of National Resources and Environmental Conservation. All logging by villagers in surrounding areas will be banned.
• 

  Pa-O region, southern Shan State, will focus on modernizing its agriculture and livestock economy while prioritizing the construction of hydropower stations and the development of vocational schools

  Pa-O region in southern Shan State will focus on modernising its agricultural and livestock economy while prioritising building hydropower stations and developing vocational schools as well as ecotourism. In an exclusive interview with The Myanmar Times, U Khun San Lwin, chair of the Pa-O leading body, outlined his government’s key economic priorities, which will form a core part of the upcoming development blueprint. On January 15, the Myanmar Institute for Integrated Development (MIID) and the DaNa Facility (DaNa) signed a US$400,000 three-year grant agreement to improve the economic opportunities for 400 smallholder farmers in Pa-O. Both DaNa and this programme are funded by the UK Department for International Development.
• 

  Tanintharyi Region government makes an effort to develop a domestic-based system for the trading of marine products between Myanmar and Thailand

  Efforts are being taken to develop a domestic-based system for the trading of marine products at between Myanmar and Thailand as part of a new economic policy for Tanintharyi Region, Chief Minister Dr Le Le Maw told The Myanmar Times. To sell fish and other marine produce or seafood, Myanmar traders currently must travel to specific trading sites in Thailand. That needs to change moving forward.“As we don’t have a strong local market, Myanmar traders have to sell in Thailand,” Dr Le Le Maw told The Myanmar Times at the launching ceremony of Citizen’s Budget of Tanintharyi Region in Dawei on Monday. There are currently plans to establish markets for trading marine products like fish and other seafood in Myeik, Dawei and Kawthoung districts under an auction system, she added. The initial plan includes two markets in Myeik, and one each in Dawei and Kawthoung.
• 

  Yangon Stock Exchange permitted TMH Telecom Public Company to be the 5th YSX listed company in Myanmar

  In order to increase the customers, listed companies and investment opportunity, Yangon Stock Exchange permitted TMH Telecom Public Company as the 5th YSX listing company in Myanmar. YSX approved the TMH to be listed on 1st December 2017 in accordance with Section 41(c) of the Securities Exchange Law and Section 7 and 8 of the Securities Listing Business Regulations. It is the first telecom company listed in the Myanmar stock share trading market. The company sell not only the existing shares but also the new ones. Senior Executive Manager, Yangon Stock Exchange, Thet Htun Oo said “They offered about 550,000 new shares starting December and the existing share. And they sell a total of about 1.2 million new and existing shares. Each share is sold at 3000 kyats and the demand is very high. YSX invites all public service company. We will take more services to be benefits for our people.”
• 

  Co-operative Bank (CB bank) to better serve SMEs applying for loans to develop their business

  Co-operative BANK (CB Bank) on Thursday opened a small and medium enterprise (SME) centre in Mandalay to help SMEs apply for loans necessary to grow their businesses. It is the first time an SME centre has been opened in Mandalay and the second of several CB Bank plans to establish across Myanmar. CB Bank offers three types of SME loans. The SME-CGI loan is worth K20million, the SME-JICA loan is worth K500million and the CB-KfW loan, which is being offered in collaboration with Germany, is worth K100million. “So far, we’ve provided 300 CGI loans, 50 JICA loans and seven KfW loans. These loans aim to help SMEs around Mandalay receive access to funds as quickly as possible. So far, many Mandalay SMEs have applied for the loans,” said CB Bank’s assistant general manager Daw San Yi Aung. The loans are being offered in accordance with the Small and Medium Enterprises Law.
• 

  Myanmar and CITIC-led consortium are negotiating duties and obligations on the basis of 30:70 shareholding basis for Kyaukphuy SEZ

  CITIC has clarified local media reports claiming that negotiations to raise Myanmar’s share of a proposed deep-sea port which will form part of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State, from 15 percent to 30pc had been agreed upon. “We note some newspapers have recently reported that [a] preliminary agreement to raise Myanmar’s stake in the Kyaukphyu SEZ to 30pc [was] reached. "Actually, on this issue, the parties are undertaking negotiations about their respective duties and obligations on the basis of a 30:70 shareholding ratio. The negotiation is still under progress and the relevant agreements have not yet been finalised,” U Kyaw Htin from CITIC Myanmar told The Myanmar Times. On Monday, local media reported that a “preliminary agreement” regarding the shareholding structure for Kyaukphyu SEZ had been reached with the CITIC-led consortium controlling 70pc and Myanmar holding 30pc. “Having reached the preliminary agreement [for Kyaukphyu SEZ], the Ministry of Resources and Environmental Conservation and CITIC will conduct environmental impact assessment [EIA] and social impact assessment [SIA],” U Kyaw Aye Thein, Rakhine State Minister for Planning and Finance, was quoted as saying.
• 

  To promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth for Myanmar SMEs entrepreneurs, Denmark Embassy and Myanmar’s Department of SMEs Development entered into a partnership with Responsible Business Fund

  Denmark Embassy and Myanmar’s Department of SMEs Development joined hands to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth for Myanmar SMEs entrepreneurs. They entered into a partnership on Thursday to improve the productivity and competitiveness through Responsible Business Fund (RBF). Under the RBF, 12.5 billion kyats will be provided to the entrepreneurs who meet at least one of the 7 eligible fields and criteria set by the RBF. Over 500 SMEs will able to access responsible Business fund (RBF) until 2020. Secretariat, Responsible Business Fund, Amarnath Reddy said "... The first thing we expect is, we would be able to spend 4.5 billion kyats on 500 different SMEs.... “We think that out of this 500 projects, at least, three to four projects will become such good examples of demonstration.... So that, when we withdraw in 2020 or 2021, then most of the SMEs know about these areas and most of this suppliers and service providers who are giving this solutions will be able to use the demonstration to expand the market and raise the level of SMEs in this country..."
• 

  U Ye Htut Naing, President of Tanintharyi Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, encouraged the Myanmar Government to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Kanchanaburi Province

  HIGH POTENTIAL of Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region could be unlocked only if the government attempts to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the neighbouringKanchanaburi Province, according to Ye HtutNaing, president of Tanintharyi Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI). “Myanmar and Thai businesses have planned to implement the ‘sister cities’ initiative between Dawei and Kanchanaburi. Now it is time to speed up our efforts,” he said in an exclusive interview. He stressed the importance of support from the Union Government as well as the regional authorities to realise the proposal by the private sector. “Recently, I received a lot of Thai businesses based in Kanchanaburi. I can obviously see how eager they are to play a role in creating sister cities for mutual benefits. Likewise, we Myanmar businesses want this MoU [memorandum of understanding] to be signed as soon as possible,” he said.
• 

  Ministry of Commerce will permit joint ventures with foreign investors in some sectors to develop value-added products and diversify from exporting raw materials

  Most exports in Myanmar are currently raw materials but the government is keen to change that. In order to scale up value-added work within the country and move away from exporting raw materials, the ministry will allow foreign investor to take part in joint ventures in the relevant sector, U Khin Maung Lwin, assistant secretary of Ministry of Commerce, said. The ministry has green lighted foreign investors who collaborate with local businesses to invest in export-oriented value-added manufacturing, according to Ministry of Commerce on January 22. The ministry aims to expand export volume, raise productivity and diversify overseas markets through developing value-added manufacturing. Through value-added manufacturing, local businesses will benefit from the capital, technology and investment, U Khin Maung Lwin added.
• 

  Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will develop in full to accelerate its completion after five years delay

  The Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will be developed in full to accelerate its completion after a five-year delay. The original plan was to develop the first phase of the SEZ, a spokesperson of the SEZ management committee said. A public forum was held in Dawei SEZ area for the purposes of sharing information and discussing action plans by the management committee and Italian-Thai Development company (ITD), the developer selected to construct the initial phase of the SEZ, last week. The government has been exploring ways to restart development of Dawei SEZ, which has been suspended since2013, when, ITD withdrew from the agreement to develop the $8 billion SEZ due to financial constraints. There were also community complaints regarding lack of adequate compensation for the construction and potential pollution and disruption caused. ITD resigned the concession agreement in 2015. Currently, Japan International Cooperation Agency is drawing up a full phase master plan for Dawei SEZ. The plan will be finalised and submitted to the relevant SEZ authorities in April. Full phase implementation will commence in tandem with development of the initial phase of the SEZ, which involves the construction of roads and a port as well as electricity generation, said U Myint San , Vice President of Dawei SEZ.