The past few years have seen an influx of foreign aid and investment into Myanmar. And although government officials are working at breakneck speed on reform, doing business in the former pariah state remains a challenge.
That challenge will be at the core of discussions this weekend at the third Myanmar Development Cooperation Forum in Naypyitaw, the country’s biggest gathering of foreign aid officials and investors eager to interact with partners in government and, increasingly, civil society. Representatives from some of Myanmar’s top donors — including Japan, the United Kingdom, United States and European Commission — are among the invited speakers.
In his opening speech, President Thein Sein is expected to highlight one of his top priorities: to improve the country’s investment climate after years of isolation ended in his ascension to the top post in 2011. Myanmar currently ranks 177th out of 189 countries in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2015 report; while the ease of trading across borders has improved markedly in the past year, the country continues to rank poorly on most measures — especially starting a business, protecting minority investors and enforcing contracts.
About the authors
Rolf RosenkranzRolfRosenkranz
Rolf Rosenkranz has worked as a Global Editor for Devex. Previously, Rolf was managing editor at Inside Health Policy, a subscription-based news service in Washington. He has reported from Africa for the Johannesburg-based Star and its publisher, Independent News & Media, as well as the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, a German daily.
Lean Alfred Santos@DevexLeanAS
Lean Alfred Santos is a former Devex development reporter focusing on the development community in Asia-Pacific, including major players such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He previously covered Philippine and international business and economic news, sports and politics.
