Having emerged from a long era of military rule, Myanmar's leaders and many citizens are looking outward. In particular, with Burmese labor migration abroad on the rise, policymakers are examining ways in which to harness remittances as a vehicle for economic development, particularly in impoverished rural areas. This article explores Burmese labor migration flows, financial reforms, and challenges on migration and development.

The new viruses are not harmful to humans or closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19

The world’s largest floating book fair welcomes its five millionth visitor as the tour of Asia comes to a conclusion.

Lawrence's fictitious Indian National Army captain Immanuel Stanley David is faced with a wave of events, mostly untoward circumstances, after his landing in Burma during World War II.

According to a presidential order issued Aug. 12 by the Myanmar government, a commission will form to examine the 6,000-MW Myitsone hydropower project proposed for Kachin, Mynamar. Locally published reports indicate when complete, Yunnan China would receive much of the energy from the facility under the project’s original agreement.
 

POSCO Daewoo has opened Lotte Hotel Yangon on September 8 in Myanmar's capital Yangon. The five-star hotel, located near Inya Lake in the central business district of the city, consists of a 15-story hotel building (343 rooms) and a 29-story long-term serviced apartment building (315 rooms). POSCO Daewoo is responsible for the overall management while Lotte Hotels and Resorts taking charge of daily management. On the opening day, Myanmar Minister of Hotels and Tourism Ohn Maung, Chief Ministe...

LG International Corp., Korea's leading general trading company, is set to kick off the operation of a cement factory in Myanmar for which it has invested for two years. This is part of the company's strategy to preempt the rapidly growing Myanmar market by becoming the first general trading firm to build a cement plant in the Southeast Asian nation. According to industry sources on September 11, LG International is currently making a pilot run of the cement plant in the erstwhile reclusive c...

Hundreds of scientifically priceless fossils are extracted in horrendous conditions in Myanmar’s amber mines and smuggled over the border for sale in China

Dakota will also establish “Myanmar’s first-ever cyber training centre."

The post Asia Digest: Dakota Ventures to invest $1m in Myanmar; Vietnam’s FoodHub raises funding appeared first on DealStreetAsia.

During my visit to Myanmar in mid-November, the latest of many since 2010, I witnessed new layers of complexity in the historical and political forces contributing to the Rohingya crisis. While the plight of the Rohingya population has galvanized international opinion, it has reinforced nationalist sentiment within a large segment of the Myanmar population and…

For people in the West, Myanmar appears to be a mess. Yet, for many in Asia, it still beckons as a land of opportunity. Western media remain focused on the ethnic cleansing operation against the Muslim Rohingya community launched by the government's armed forces in the wake of sporadic attacks from late 2015 by a…

Myanmar stands at a critical crossroads in its democratic transition. In late March, the Union Parliament elected former Speaker of the Lower House U Win Myint as the country’s new president. U Win Myint is a longtime member of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) and a trusted partner of State Counselor Aung San…

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been caught up in a whirlwind in recent months, giving congressional testimony and public statements defending Facebook against allegations that it has been too lax in combating online hate speech and disinformation. International criticism has rightly brought attention to the urgent need to address Facebook’s role in stoking ethnic and…

Reporters on the scene are saying that 300,000 or more members of the Rohingya community (of Muslim faith) in Buddhist-majority Myanmar have fled across the border into Muslim-majority Bangladesh in the past two weeks. The refugees have been describing to reporters a litany of human rights abuses: homes burned, women raped, men beheaded, and more. …

Lex Rieffel, nonresident senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program, and Jonathan Stromseth, senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program, discuss the humanitarian crisis facing the Rohingya in Myanmar, also known as Burma. Rieffel and Stromseth provide background on the Rohingya, the events occurring in Southeast Asia, and recommend policy solutions to ease…

During my visit to Myanmar in mid-November, the latest of many since 2010, I witnessed new layers of complexity in the historical and political forces contributing to the Rohingya crisis. While the plight of the Rohingya population has galvanized international opinion, it has reinforced nationalist sentiment within a large segment of the Myanmar population and…

For people in the West, Myanmar appears to be a mess. Yet, for many in Asia, it still beckons as a land of opportunity. Western media remain focused on the ethnic cleansing operation against the Muslim Rohingya community launched by the government's armed forces in the wake of sporadic attacks from late 2015 by a…

A visitor to Myanmar can easily spend two weeks seeing the main tourist destinations and depart with the impression of having been in a peaceful nation. Within its borders, however, rages the world’s longest continuing civil war. It began at independence in 1948 and no end is in sight. This is the conundrum of Myanmar…

An official said that the people of Myanmar can now get access to quality treatment and latest medical technology in India with the Apollo Group of Hospitals

The Pyawt Ywar pump irrigation scheme, on which the project focused, was established in 2004 by Myanmar’s Irrigation and Water Utilisation Management Department. Designed to increase agricultural production and achieve food

Deputy Minister of National Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Khin San Yee, presented her country’s ambitious efforts to improve the investment climate at meetings of the OECD Investment Committee and Advisory Group on Investment and Development from 15-17 October 2013 in Paris.

This conference focused on recent reforms undertaken by the government to improve the investment climate in Myanmar, and the ways that the international community can help ensure that renewed investor interest contributes to sustainable and inclusive development. It featured a discussion of the detailed finding of the recently released OECD Investment Policy Review of Myanmar.

IP Addresses in Myanmar increased to 4755 IP in the first quarter of 2017 from 4326 IP in the fourth quarter of 2016. IP Addresses in Myanmar averaged 1739.41 IP from 2007 until 2017, reaching an all time high of 5293 IP in the second quarter of 2015 and a record low of 77 IP in the third quarter of 2007. This page includes a chart with historical data for MyanmarIP Addresses.

Temperature in Myanmar decreased to 19.32 celsius in December from 22.17 celsius in November of 2015. Temperature in Myanmar averaged 22.93 celsius from 1901 until 2015, reaching an all time high of 27.37 celsius in May of 2010 and a record low of 16.40 celsius in January of 1974. This page includes a chart with historical data for Myanmar Average Temperature.

Precipitation in Myanmar decreased to 18.73 mm in December from 45.24 mm in November of 2015. Precipitation in Myanmar averaged 160.36 mm from 1901 until 2015, reaching an all time high of 749.12 mm in August of 1939 and a record low of 0.40 mm in January of 1940. This page includes a chart with historical data for Myanmar Average Precipitation.

Myanmar recorded a Current Account deficit of 2 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2018. Current Account to GDP in Myanmar averaged -2.10 percent from 1998 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 6.80 percent in 2006 and a record low of -14.80 percent in 1998. The Current account balance as a percent of GDP provides an indication on the level of international competitiveness of a country. Usually, countries recording a strong current account surplus have an economy heavily dependent on exports revenues, with high savings ratings but weak domestic demand. On the other hand, countries recording a current account deficit have strong imports, a low saving rates and high personal consumption rates as a percentage of disposable incomes. This page provides - Myanmar Current Account to GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Myanmar recorded a government debt equivalent to 49.41 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2018. Government Debt to GDP in Myanmar averaged 87.05 percent from 1998 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 216.04 percent in 2001 and a record low of 37.14 percent in 2013. Generally, Government debt as a percent of GDP is used by investors to measure a country ability to make future payments on its debt, thus affecting the country borrowing costs and government bond yields. This page provides - Myanmar Government Debt To GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Military Expenditure in Myanmar decreased to 3155 USD Million in 2018 from 3464 USD Million in 2017. Military Expenditure in Myanmar averaged 779.40 USD Million from 1951 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 3818 USD Million in 2015 and a record low of 159 USD Million in 1951.

Myanmar scored 3.32 points out of 7 on the 2016-2017 Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum. Competitiveness Index in Myanmar averaged 3.26 Points from 2014 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 3.32 Points in 2016 and a record low of 3.22 Points in 2014. Competitiveness Index in Myanmar is reported by the World Economic Forum. The most recent 2014-2015 edition of Global Competitiveness Report assesses 144 economies. The report is made up of over 110 variables, of which two thirds come from the Executive Opinion Survey representing the sample of business leaders, and one third comes from publicly available sources such as the United Nations. The variables are organized into twelve pillars with the most important including: institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic framework, health and primary education and higher education and training. The GCI score varies between 1 and 7 scale, higher average score means higher degree of competitiveness. This page provides the latest reported value for - Myanmar Competitiveness Index - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Myanmar is the 131 most competitive nation in the world out of 138 countries ranked in the 2016-2017 edition of the Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum. Competitiveness Rank in Myanmar averaged 134.67 from 2014 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 139 in 2014 and a record low of 131 in 2016. Competitiveness Rank in Myanmar is reported by the World Economic Forum. The most recent 2014-2015 edition of Global Competitiveness Report assesses 144 economies and indicates their position relative to the other countries and territories in the index. This page provides the latest reported value for - Myanmar Competitiveness Rank - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Myanmar expanded 6.80 percent in 2018 from the previous year. GDP Annual Growth Rate in Myanmar averaged 8.65 percent from 1994 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 13.84 percent in 2003 and a record low of 3.60 percent in 2008. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is the poorest country in Southeast Asia. Myanmar was under a military regime for decades, yet since 2011, a transition to democracy has been taking place. The new, civilian led, reformist government has taken charge and the country has began to open up to foreign direct investment. Myanmar’s economy is pretty diversified. The most important sector of the economy is services, which has been growing steadily in the last few years, and now account for over 38 percent of GDP. The share of agriculture has been declining, and now represents 36 percent of GDP. Finally, industry contributes the remaining 26 percent of GDP. This page provides - Myanmar GDP Annual Growth Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in Myanmar was last recorded at 5922 US dollars in 2018, when adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP). The GDP per Capita, in Myanmar, when adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity is equivalent to 33 percent of the world's average. GDP per capita PPP in Myanmar averaged 2543.91 USD from 1990 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 5922 USD in 2018 and a record low of 715.90 USD in 1991. This page provides - Myanmar GDP per capita PPP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Myanmar recorded a Government Budget deficit equal to 2.50 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2018. Government Budget in Myanmar averaged -3.28 percent of GDP from 1994 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 1.70 percent of GDP in 2012 and a record low of -7.10 percent of GDP in 2000. Government Budget is an itemized accounting of the payments received by government (taxes and other fees) and the payments made by government (purchases and transfer payments). A budget deficit occurs when an government spends more money than it takes in. The opposite of a budget deficit is a budget surplus. This page provides - Myanmar Government Budget - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Myanmar recorded a Current Account deficit of 3592 USD Million in 2018. Current Account in Myanmar averaged -527.16 USD Million from 1994 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 1963 USD Million in 2010 and a record low of -3592 USD Million in 2018. Current Account is the sum of the balance of trade (exports minus imports of goods and services), net factor income (such as interest and dividends) and net transfer payments (such as foreign aid). This page provides - Myanmar Current Account - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Myanmar is the 130 least corrupt nation out of 175 countries, according to the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. Corruption Rank in Myanmar averaged 155.12 from 2003 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 180 in 2011 and a record low of 129 in 2003. The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. A country or territory's rank indicates its position relative to the other countries and territories in the index. This page provides the latest reported value for - Myanmar Corruption Rank - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Unemployment Rate in Myanmar increased to 1.60 percent in 2019 from 1 percent in 2018. Unemployment Rate in Myanmar averaged 3.50 percent from 1990 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 4.17 percent in 1990 and a record low of 0.80 percent in 2015. In Myanmar, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force. This page provides - Myanmar Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Myanmar recorded a trade deficit of 66.30 USD Million in September of 2019. Balance of Trade in Myanmar averaged -206.88 USD Million from 2010 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 593.30 USD Million in August of 2011 and a record low of -948.50 USD Million in July of 2015. Myanmar had been trading mostly with neighboring countries due to political circumstances and poor infrastructure, but the change to democracy is likely to allow access to new markets. Oil and natural gas dominate Myanmar's exports. Other exports include vegetables, wood, fish, clothing, rubber and fruits. Myanmar mainly imports fuel, vegetable oil, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, construction equipment, polymers, tires and machinery. Myanmar's main trading partners are China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Germany and Hong-Kong. This page provides - Myanmar Balance of Trade - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Exports in Myanmar decreased to 1413 USD Million in September from 1435.50 USD Million in August of 2019. Exports in Myanmar averaged 1025.42 USD Million from 2010 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 1760.70 USD Million in September of 2017 and a record low of 502.60 USD Million in April of 2011. Oil and natural gas dominate Myanmar's exports. Other exports include vegetables, wood, fish, clothing, rubber and fruits. Myanmar's main exports partners are China, India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Indonesia and Hong Kong. This page provides - Myanmar Exports - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Imports in Myanmar increased to 1479.30 USD Million in September from 1414.90 USD Million in August of 2019. Imports in Myanmar averaged 1219.08 USD Million from 2010 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 1972.90 USD Million in July of 2015 and a record low of 334.20 USD Million in October of 2010. Myanmar mainly imports fuel, vegetable oil, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, construction equipment, polymers, tires and machinery. Myanmar's main imports partners are China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Germany, France and Hong Kong. This page provides - Myanmar Imports - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Myanmar was worth 77 billion US dollars in 2019, according to official data from the World Bank and projections from Trading Economics. The GDP value of Myanmar represents 0.06 percent of the world economy. GDP in Myanmar averaged 36.67 USD Billion from 1998 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 77 USD Billion in 2019 and a record low of 6.46 USD Billion in 1998. This page provides - Myanmar GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The total population in Myanmar was estimated at 54.1 million people in 2019, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. Looking back, in the year of 1960, Myanmar had a population of 21.0 million people. The population of Myanmar represents 0.70 percent of the world´s total population which arguably means that one person in every 144 people on the planet is a resident of Myanmar. This page provides - Myanmar Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The benchmark interest rate in Myanmar was last recorded at 10 percent. Interest Rate in Myanmar averaged 10.04 percent from 2011 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 12 percent in December of 2011 and a record low of 10 percent in January of 2012. In Myanmar, the benchmark interest rate is set by the Central Bank of Myanmar. The benchmark interest is the Central Bank Rate. This page provides the latest reported value for - Myanmar Interest Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.