Asia Economy

This chapter offers suggested hotel listings for business and leisure travellers, and contact numbers for a variety of local services and associations. It also offers useful tips for first-time visitors to the country.

Trade and investment has expanded rapidly in Myanmar since 2011, bolstered by economic liberalisation, legal reforms, a large untapped domestic market and a favourable geographic position bordering Bangladesh, China, India, Laos and Thailand, which together comprise 40% of the world’s population. However, several factors weigh on 2018’s investment outlook, including ambiguous legislation and...

Although it has moderated from earlier double-digit highs, GDP growth remained robust in the early 2010s, accelerating from 5.3% in 2010 to 5.6% in 2011, 7.3% in 2012, 8.4% in 2013 and 8% in 2014. Growth has dropped off slightly since 2015, reaching 7% that year and 6.1% in 2016, according to the IMF. External headwinds, internal conflict and delayed implementation of some key reform policies...

Considered to be the last frontier market in South-east Asia, Myanmar remains focused on creating the right set of conditions to attract and facilitate foreign investment to spur economic development. Following decades of military rule that maintained a socialist and centrally planned economic model, cutting off access to the world’s financial markets and main trading routes, the country’s...