Myanmar Industry

Myanmar’s growing retail sector received a boost in 2018 with regulations aimed at encouraging foreign investment in the sector and the economy as a whole, with more foreign brands now entering the market.

The global economy is entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), or Industry 4.0, based on the application of new digital and automated technologies in production processes and service delivery. These changes are bringing emerging markets improved productivity, as well as risks – namely, reshoring and the displacement of human labour by...

Myanmar instituted sweeping increases to the national minimum wage in 2018, boosting the rate to MMK4800 ($3.40) per eight-hour day, up from the MMK3600 ($2.55) rate set in September 2015. The changes come as Myanmar’s fast-paced growth draws an increasing number of rural workers into the larger cities for employment in the surging garment and...

Myanmar’s retail segment has boomed in the years since the economy was liberalised, with foreign goods hitting the market and local sellers making their offer more sophisticated. Legacy retail conglomerates are investing in Western-style upgrades to supermarkets and malls, and foreign investors are entering into joint ventures to bring...

With a long-term goal of developing advanced industries, local authorities have been working alongside international agencies and foreign governments in an effort to expand the country’s manufacturing capacity through investments in infrastructure and much-needed power stations.

Myanmar’s recent economic growth, low wages and favourable tax exemptions have enticed the arrival of international manufacturers. To support this trend, the government has enacted a range of policies to promote the development of special economic zones (SEZs) and industrial clusters. As a result, manufacturing capacity is on the rise, helping...