The central bank’s decision to award bank licences to nine foreign groups in October 2014 was widely hailed as a major breakthrough in bringing Myanmar’s underdeveloped financial sector into the modern era. But the really big decisions over how much foreign involvement will be allowed still lie ahead.
The traditionally small banking sector is undergoing an extraordinary burst of growth as economic reforms and the lifting of sanctions are leading households and businesses to modernise their financial practices. Bank deposits and credit have been growing at more than 30% a year, even after adjusting for inflation. And in a breakthrough reform in October 2014, the...
The insurance sector is at an early stage of development, with private insurers just beginning to develop since 2013 after a long period in which the sector was fully nationalised. Twelve companies, most of them linked to major banks or conglomerates, were licensed to launch insurance businesses in May 2013, and foreign insurers were expected to be invited in 2015 to...
Myanmar is in the midst of a historic transformation of both its public sector and fiscal policy towards international norms. The country traditionally had a very small civilian government and many large state enterprises, all overseen by a politically and commercially powerful military. State enterprises have traditionally accounted for most public revenues, while...
Myanmar and nine other South-east Asian countries are preparing to ring in the formal birth of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) on December 31, 2015, but they are not preparing to celebrate. Instead, they are engaging in a collective soul-searching exercise. At the November 2014 ASEAN summit in Naypyidaw, the crowning event of Myanmar’s chairmanship of the bloc in 2014...
As Myanmar has changed course since 2010 and pursued political and economic reforms, Japan is the country that has responded most enthusiastically, both to offer assistance and to take advantage of emerging investment opportunities. Although Japan is not seeking to be the monolithic major partner that China was to Myanmar while it was under international sanctions, the...
Stay updated on how some of the world’s most promising markets are being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and what actions governments and private businesses are taking to mitigate challenges and ensure their long-term growth story continues.
Register now and also receive a complimentary 2-month licence to the OBG Research Terminal.
Register Here×