The banking sector is in the midst of a strong growth phase as economic development and use of banking services has been extended to traditionally under-banked areas in the Philippines. Tight fiscal policy has led to lower inflation and growing willingness to hold savings in bank deposits, while the number of people with enough income to use...
For most of the last half century Myanmar’s insurance sector was closed and monopolised, but it is now opening up to both domestic and international competition. The transformation has been rapid and across the board. A dozen domestic private insurers have been formed since 2013, while a raft of foreign companies have opened representative...
Since the political reforms of 2011, a number of significant steps towards liberalisation have been taken in the banking sector. The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) has been given much needed autonomy and ATMs are now allowed in the country. Further aiding accessibility, mobile banking services have been introduced. New private banks are being...
The country’s new stock market, which has been in development since 2008, has been designed to approach or meet international standards in terms of listing rules, intermediation, market infrastructure and supervision. It will be well supported and promoted and will likely make a significant difference in Myanmar. The new bourse will allow for...
In 2015 foreign banks started operating in Myanmar for the first time since 1963. A total of nine branch licences were issued. The licences will be highly restrictive at first, and the banks will only be able to do business in foreign currencies, they will be limited to one branch and they will not be able serve retail clients. The step is a...
The banking sector in Papua New Guinea is sound, growing and remarkably profitable. Its largest and only publicly traded institution, BSP, reports return on equity 10 percentage points higher than the large Australian banks, which are among the most profitable in the world. Continued expansion is expected. With 80% of the country unbanked,...
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