Political Economy

Seeking a sustainable ASEAN engagement with Myanmar

Indonesia’s 2023 ASEAN chairmanship drew to a close with the conclusion of the 43rd ASEAN Summit last week. The year had started with high hopes for a solution to the Myanmar crisis, with Indonesia calling for the “return of democracy” in the military-controlled state that led to the adoption of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) in 2021.

The Reappearance of Aung San Suu Kyi: Her Role and New Play of Political Narrative

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Don Pramudwinai, recently disclosed that he met with Myanmar’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi in detention in Naypyitaw on July 9, 2023. The meeting came just two days before the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Jakarta and was the first allowed in the two years following the military coup in February 2021.

Over US$400 Million in Foreign Investment in Four Months

More than US$407 million in foreign investment entered Myanmar during the first four months of 2022. January saw the largest share with investments topping US$260 million. Only about US$24 million entered the country in February. Investment in March jumped to over US$116 million before plummeting to only about US$6 million in April. ASEAN accounted for the largest investment during this period with about 54 percent of total foreign investment. China accounted for about 13 percent of the total with US$51 million.

issue:12, 3 Apr 2022

Data Matters

Singapore, China Top Foreign Investors in Myanmar

Myanmar received more than US$530 million in direct foreign investment between October 2021 and February 2022, designated by the State Administration Council (SAC) as a mini-budget period. ASEAN countries accounted for the highest investment collectively, with more than US$285 million. Singapore topped the list of individual country investors with US$277 million, followed by China with US$118 million. Other investors in Asia included Thailand (US$7 million), Japan (US$1 million), and Malaysia (US$300,000). This mini-budget period also saw the return of European investors for the first time since the military coup in February 2021, including US$4 million from the Netherlands and more than US$400,000 from France.

Foreign companies continued to leave or suspend their operations

What Matters. 74 (This article is a translation of the original Burmese language version that ISP-Myanmar posted on its Facebook page on December 29, 2021.) More than 20 world-famous clothing companies, including multinational corporations such as H&M from Sweden, Inditex from Spain, and Primark from Britain, recently decided to suspend their operations in the garment […]

Foreign Investment decreased by US$1.2 billion

What Matters No. 72 (This article is a translation of the original Burmese language version that ISP-Myanmar posted on its Facebook page on December 27, 2021.) Foreign investment in Myanmar fell by US$1.2 billion from the end of FY 2019-2020 (through August) to FY 2020-2021 (through August). In August 2021, the only foreign investment came […]

The Impact of Internet Shutdowns on Myanmar’s Economy

The longer the duration of the internet shutdowns, the greater the damage to the country’s current economic situation. The shutdowns would essentially fragment the internet and information technology market. The market is only a decade old and built only through overcoming many obstacles, making it an economic frontier for the country. From an economic perspective as well, the internet shutdown policy is the greatest loss for the country’s current weakening economy and long-term development as well as for the general public.

A panacea for the economy?

There’s been a broadly positive response to the new Myanmar Investment Law, which levels the playing field between domestic and foreign investors and seeks the accelerated development of targeted areas and economic sectors. THE LONG-AWAITED Myanmar Investment Law has received a generally positive response from the business community, which had been more critical of the […]