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Myanmar General Discussion (non military)

FDI was over $3.5 billion in the two fiscal quarters from April to October. Like I said before, FDI is in takeoff in Myanmar.


Combined FDI to Myanmar reached US$49 billion - Eleven Myanmar | Eleven Myanmar
Combined FDI to Myanmar reached US$49 billion
Published on Tuesday, 11 November 2014 23:40
Myanmar’s aggregate foreign investment has exceeded US$49 billion, including over US$3 billion approved in this year, according to the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration.
The agency, which keeps track on foreign direct investment (FDI), the investment value as of September 30, 2014, rose by US$3.68 billion from US$46.22 billion as of March 31, 2014.
This year, investors from 17 foreign countries asked permissions to invest in Myanmar including China, Thailand, Singapore, Britain, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, India, Japan, the Philippines, Canada, Libya, Brunei, Luxembourg, Sweden and Samoa.
Among the countries that sought investment permissions, Singapore made the highest investment value in Myanmar, followed by China, Thailand, Britain, the Netherlands and Canada.
Since the foreign investment law was effective, foreign countries have been allowed to invest in many business sectors such as energy, petroleum and natural gas, production, mining, transportation and communication, hotels and tourism, real estate, livestock and fisheries, agriculture, industrial zone, construction and other service sectors.
Among them, the energy sector sees the most foreign investment interest.
If foreign-based companies want to invest in Myanmar, they have to register their companies first at the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration and then propose the Myanmar Investment Commission the type of business they want to invest in.
The Myanmar Investment Commission will approve the proposals and give permissions to the foreign companies based on the recommendation and scrutiny from related regional and state governments and related ministries and organisations.
 
This made me laugh a little

Myanmar aims to join the Open Government Partnership
Written by Phyu Phyu Zin Published in Myanmar Read 149 times
Myanmar seeks to apply for the Open Government Partnership. OGP Participating Countries Map. Image: OGP
The Myanmar government has set up two committees in preparation for joining the Open Government Partnership or OGP, according to a press release from the President’s Office on November 11.

The aim is to fulfill the needs of the public as to how the government is working and to develop new initiatives, according to the release.

Open Government Partnership is an international organization promoting multilateral initiatives and seeking strong commitments from participating government institutions to promote transparency, increase civic participation, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to make government more open, effective and accountable.

Countries seeking to join the partnership need to develop an action plan that is concrete and measurable in terms of government transparency, accountability and citizen engagement, according to the OGP.



The Leading Committee and the Working Committee will work together in preparation for a programme to ensure fiscal transparency, to take over the role on public information, to fight against corruption and to realize a responsible government, to promote the cooperation of citizens in policy-making and administrative processes.

The Leading Committee chairperson has been designated as President Office Minister U Soe Thane, vice chairperson is President Office Minister U Tin Naing Thein, and four other members are the Minister of Information, Minister of Finance, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, and Deputy Minister for Communication and Information Technology. The secretary is the Union Minister for National Planning and Economic Development.

The Working Committee has the Deputy Finance Minister as chairperson, and the Deputy Minister for National Planning and Economic Development as vice chairperson, and five supporting members.

The OGP was set up in 2011. Since then, it has grown from eight participating countries to 65.

Myanmar aims to join the Open Government Partnership
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/opinion/myanmar-needs-time.html?_r=0

Myanmar Needs Time

By U SOE THANE

NOV. 13, 2014


NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar — Myanmar is in the midst of changes unparalleled in our history. Expectations are high, but the needs of our people are even greater. We must succeed in our transition to peace, democracy and inclusive economic development. And for this to happen we need the rest of the world to appreciate the complexity of the challenges that the Burmese government faces.

We live in the shadow of our past — a past shaped by colonial occupation and military dictatorships, and by our unique geography between Asia’s giant civilizations of India and China, a geography that must be carefully managed. We suffer from extremely limited institutional capacity and even more from the mind-sets and mentalities that emerged under isolation and authoritarian rule. These are things that cannot change overnight.

One of our most important tasks at the moment is bringing about a just and sustainable end to 70 years of armed conflict — one of the longest-running internal conflicts in the world. We are committed to a federal union formed under the principles of democracy, equality and self-determination. We have been in talks with nearly two dozen different ethnic-based armed groups with the goal of a nationwide cease-fire agreement. We want an end to fighting that will allow displaced people to return home and resume their livelihoods. We wish to open space for dialogue at all levels — including political talks at the highest levels — aimed at a final peace accord. These talks may well lead to constitutional reforms, including in the area of civil-military relations.

We are also determined to end the humanitarian crisis in our western Rakhine State, a site of recent communal violence. We will very soon release a final action plan to address the totality of issues in Rakhine State, one that conforms to accepted international standards in all respects, including on issues of humanitarian access, resettlement, livelihoods and citizenship. We are committed to heightened security to prevent any further violence and will take the toughest measures under the law to prosecute those responsible for violence or incitement to violence. There will be no forced resettlement of people.

All people in Myanmar, regardless of ethnicity or religion, deserve the same fundamental rights and freedoms.

In a year’s time we will hold general elections. We are committed to an electoral process that is totally free and fair, and are working hard to ensure the elections will be a major step forward in building our democracy. We are in constant dialogue with political parties and hundreds of civil society organizations. We will not only allow domestic monitors but international election observers as well. We hope for elections that are not only free but that encourage substantive debates of policies, offering people real choices for the future.

We are committed as well to a free media. The newly established Myanmar Press Council is working hard to make this a reality and we understand fully the importance of a free, independent, and responsible media as a key component to any democratic society.

Continue reading the main story
Alongside all these political efforts, we are working as hard as possible on developing our economy. Reducing poverty is a task that can be second to none. This requires many different reforms — from currency reform to the creation of a central bank to establishing a more liberal trade and investment system than previously existed. It is essential that we expand our economy in an inclusive way and in a way that protects our natural environment at the same time as we embark on our political changes.

We are encouraged and heartened by the support given by governments and international institutions. America — both the United States government and American friends and organizations — has played a critical role in moving us away from decades of dictatorship to a place where we can now at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. President Obama — who arrived in our country on Wednesday and leaves for Australia on Friday — and Secretaries of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Kerry have all been important, but so too have senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle in Congress.

Our interest is not in aid funding for our reforms. What we want more than anything is that friends of Myanmar around the world understand the nuances of what is happening and be aware of the big picture: that we are a small nation between giant neighbors, poor and isolated for decades, with entrenched systems and views that have grown up over generations, now trying decisively to move toward peace and democracy. It is a grand experiment, but we are determined to succeed.

U Soe Thane, a retired admiral, is a minister in the office of the president of Myanmar.
 
Japan offers Myanmar $250m loan


Japan has offered Myanmar 25.8 billion yens'($258 million) of loan to help the country's development projects, official sources said Thursday.
The loan was announced by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when he met with Myanmar President U Thein Sein on the sidelines of a series of events of the 25th ASEAN Summit being held in Nay Pyi Taw.

The Japanese government envisions the loan will be used to improve infrastructure of a port and power facilities in Thilawa, southern Myanmar, reinforce the country's electricity distribution network and help lenders for small and medium enterprises, the sources said.

In his bilateral meeting with U Thein Sein, Abe voiced support of Myanmar's democratization and peace making process.

Abe attended the 17th ASEAN-Japan Summit and 6th Mekong-Japan Summit on Wednesday and will continue to attend the 9th East Asia Summit and 17th ASEAN+3 Summit on Thursday.

Wednesday's 17th ASEAN-Japan summit discussed promotion of ASEAN-Japan tourism , full implementation of ASEAN-Japan Free Trade Area, and regional cooperation through Thilawa Special Economic Zone, in which Japan is a major investor.

The summit also exchanged views on the implementation of plans adopted at the 40th Anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit held in December 2013 in Japan and promotion of disaster management program of ASEAN and Japan.

The participants also discussed the preparatory process of the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction scheduled for March 14-18, 2015 in Sendai, Japan.

The 25th ASEAN Summit and a series of related meetings kicked off in Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday.

Japan offers Myanmar $250m loan|Asia-Pacific|chinadaily.com.cn
 
Joko Widodo meets Thein Sein on sidelines of Asean Summit
Rabu, 12 November 2014 11:56 WIB | 1.206 Views

Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar (ANTARA News) -The leaders of Indonesia and Myanmar met here Wednesday on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN Summit with a common spirit of strengthening the two countries relations.

At the bilateral meeting, President Joko Widodo was accompanied by Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi, Coordinating Economic Minister Sofyan Djalil, Trade Minister Rahmat Gobel, and Indonesian Ambassador to Myanmar Ito Sumardi.

President of Myanmar Thein Sein thanked Joko Widodo for his presence at the ASEAN Summit and congratulated him on being elected as Indonesias seventh president.

"Myanmar and Indonesia have a good relationship, and Indonesia has given huge support for Myanmar in regional and international arena. We hope that Indonesia will continuously support Myanmar," he said.

President Joko Widodos presence at the ASEAN Summit was the first time since his presidential inauguration on October 20, 2014.

At the ASEAN Summit, among the issues that the ASEAN leaders may discuss are the South China Sea and Rohingya refugee.

Indonesian Ambassador to Myanmar Ito Sumardi has said earlier that Indonesia would propose the Rohingya refugee issue into the ASEAN leaders agenda.

Ito said Indonesia was concerned about the fate of Rohingyas in Myanmar as the latter did not acknowledge Rohingya people as their citizens. This situation has forced a number of Rohingyans to flee their country to reach such countries as Australia through Indonesian waters.

Prior to his presence at the ASEAN Summit, President Joko Widodo attended the APEC Summit in Beijing on November 10-11. From Myanmar, the head of state is scheduled to join leaders of G20 member countries in Brisbane, Australia, who will meet on November 15-16.

Reported by Ageng Wibowo

Joko Widodo meets Thein Sein on sidelines of Asean Summit - ANTARA News
 
Published: Saturday November 15, 2014 MYT 3:13:00 PM
Updated: Saturday November 15, 2014 MYT 3:14:23 PM

China, Myanmar ink $7.8 bn in deals: state media

BEIJING, Nov 15, 2014 (AFP) - China has signed agreements worth $7.8 billion with neighbouring Myanmar, state media reported Saturday, as Beijing continues to assert its growing economic clout in Southeast Asia.

Deals overseen by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Myanmar President Thein Sein on Friday included agreements to build power plants fuelled by natural gas, the state-run China Daily reported.

Beijing was a key backer of Myanmar's military junta while it was under Western sanctions, but Thein Sein has increased ties with other countries including the United States since launching political reforms in 2011.

In a surprise move Thein Sein in 2012 ordered work on the huge $3.6-billion Chinese-backed Myitsone Dam to stop after local protests, sparking anger in Beijing.






The two countries agreed to establish an "electricity cooperation committee", to keep future projects from meeting a similar fate, the China Daily said.

Other agreements inked include $300 million in loans to the agricultural sector, and others touching on telecommunications and finance, it said.

Li and Thein Sein met on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, where China offered $20 billion in loans to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The offer was seen as an attempt to cool tensions with several ASEAN nations who are locked in territorial disputes with Beijing over the South China Sea.

In 2013 trade between China and Myanmar amounted to $10.15 billion, according to Chinese statistics.

 
Hope there are more cooperation between Myanmar and Indonesia. We already have plan for defense industry collaboration and defense product sales.
 
Hope there are more cooperation between Myanmar and Indonesia. We already have plan for defense industry collaboration and defense product sales.

Hi bro. What collaboration do we currently have? I think I heard the army buys bullets and sniper rifles from the Indos.
 
There is no detail but one report says we bought anti-riot and other equipment for the police. There is one negotiation for the Makassar class LPD, but still don't know what is the situation though.

We were even interested in CN-235 planes but I heard the deal didn't go through after the engine supplier says it cannot take part due to sanctions.
Hi bro. What collaboration do we currently have? I think I heard the army buys bullets and sniper rifles from the Indos.
 
Yangon's infrastructure modernisation has been contracted out almost wholesale to the Japs. They came up with an interesting video complete with snazzy Japanese muzak. AFAIK the modernisation of the circular railway is already in full steam.

 

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