Asia Financial Services

Non-performing loans (NPLs) continue to be a challenge for Vietnam’s banking sector following the banking crunch of 2012. The government and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) have made the issue a priority. A key step was the creation of the Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC) in 2012. NPLs built up thanks largely to poor lending practices...

In the wake of sweeping reforms undertaken since 2011, Myanmar’s banking sector has been advancing at a rapid pace to become safer, sounder and better regulated. The majority of banking institutions are rising to the challenge by adopting international best practices, especially in terms of accountancy, and investing in systems that promise to...

Recent liberalisations are set to transform the insurance sector in Myanmar, and the potential for future growth is remarkable. For almost half a century, business lay entirely in the hands of the state. That fact, plus economic isolation and slow growth, mean that the country is presently the least insured in the ASEAN region, with...

Not only are Myanmar institutions improving in safety, soundness and accountancy, they are also expanding their use of technology. Several banks are adopting the latest systems in an effort to become modern financial services companies, while more generally the country is developing its digital strategy to allow for channels that enhance the...

Can you discuss the main challenges that banks might encounter in their efforts to drive a profitable mortgage market here in Myanmar?

In the wake of sweeping reforms undertaken since 2011, Myanmar’s banking sector has been advancing at a rapid pace to become safer, sounder and better regulated. The majority of banking institutions are rising to the challenge by adopting international best practices, especially in terms of accountancy, and investing in systems that promise to...