Thura NewsViews. Myanmar Economics and Politics. Weekly Newsletter. Issue 317, May 24, Politics

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1 Issue 317, May 24, 2018 Thura NewsViews Politics ARSA killed Hindus in August attacks Amnesty International has said that members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) were involved in at least one and potentially two massacres of Hindus in August last year, killing at least 99 men, women and children in northern Rakhine State. The report said that members of the group, which also launched attacks on police outposts on August 25, was responsible for killing more than 50 Hindu people at one village, and was suspected of taking part in the killing of all Hindu residents of a neighboring village. In this brutal and senseless act, members of ARSA captured scores of Hindu women, men and children and terrorized them before slaughtering them outside their own villages. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be held to account, said Tirana Hassan, Crisis Response Director for Amnesty. The Myanmar government has accused many in the international community of downplaying ARSA s role in the Rakhine crisis, which has seen almost 700,000 people flee over the border into Bangladesh. Panglong conference delayed to June The government and the signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) have postponed the date for the planned 21 st Century Panglong Union Peace Conference (UPC) once more, saying it will now be held in mid-june. The conference had been due to take place in May, but has been postponed because those involved wanted to ensure a better outcome from the event, said U Hla Maung Shwe, a member of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), according to a local source. The conference needs to give good results. Negotiations are under way to reach good results at the confer- Thura Swiss Ltd. Economic Research Shwe Hinthar B /2 Miles Pyay Road 11 Qtr. Hlaing Tsp., Myanmar Phone +95 (0) Fax +95 (0) info@thuraswiss.com May Highlights Larger volumes of natural gas will be available from Myanmar s gas field in the next five years, creating new opportunities for international firms, said U Win Khaing, Minister for Electricity and Energy. The Baluchaung No. 1 Hydropower Plant in Kayah State and the Sedawgi Power Plant in Mandalay Region will be renovated with a loan supplied by the Japanese government The government has said it plans to make Nyaung-U airport, near Bagan, Southeast Asia s first green airport

2 ence, Hla Maung Shwe was quoted as saying. The previous UPC, the second under the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, was held in May A planned third UPC comes amid renewed fighting in the country, especially between the Myanmar armed forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which has seen an estimated 8,000 people displaced since early April. Military urges caution on international cooperation Military representatives in Myanmar s parliament have urged the government to be careful when cooperating with international agencies, saying that ensuring national security should be a priority. According to a report in a local newspaper, the call was made during a parliamentary debate of a presidential proposal to ratify International Labor Organization (ILO) Recommendation No. 205 concerning employment and decent work for peace and resilience. Lieutenant- Colonel Hla Naing said the recommendation called for the provision of rehabilitation, social integration and training programs for those formerly associated with armed groups. He said such things could only be considered after the country achieves peace. While our country is building lasting peace, we need to be especially careful with any matter that could negatively affect the peace process and handle it with serious consideration, he said. Lieutenant Colonel Myint Han said Myanmar should be careful because powerful countries had been behaving arrogantly recently. We have to stick to our national norms amid international norms, he was quoted as saying. Economy Central Bank gives licence to Myanmar Credit Bureau The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) has issued a licence to Myanmar Credit Bureau (MCB) Limited, a move that will lead to the first credit bureau being established in the country. The MCB will collect information on loan repayment histories and other information on borrowers and provide it to lenders, said a statement issued by CBM. The MCB is a joint venture between the Myanmar Bank Association and Singapore s Asian Credit Bureau. A benefit of the bureau will be that lenders will be better able to evaluate how reliable a person or organization is before they are provided with credit, and will enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to qualify for loans. Establishing a credit bureau is a good move as it will help increase access to finance for borrowers and help lenders gauge whether they should extend the loan or not, said U Aung Thein, chair of the Myanmar Industrial Association and SME Development Committee. The bureau is expected to be operational within a year. Government invites expressions of interest for highway The Union government has invited local and foreign companies to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for a planned elevated highway in, a project that will be the first of its kind in the commercial capital if it goes ahead. The May 18 statement said that the Ministry of Construction would work alongside the Region government to develop a 47.5 kilometer expressway, through a public-private partnership (PPP). The planned road is expected to connect downtown with the -Mandalay Highway, and will pass Myanmar in Figures GDP (PPP): $330.88bn (2017) GDP (official ex.rate): $59.5bn (Jan 2018) GDP growth rate: 7.23% (2017) Population: mn people (Oct 2017) Inflation: 6.5% (2017) Foreign trade: $29.2bn ( ) FDI: $75bn (31/12/2017) International reserves: $5.2bn (Jan 2018) CBM rate Kyat/$ = 1353K/1$ (24/05/18) For advertising with Thura Swiss please contact us by info@thuraswiss.com or by phone +95 (0) Please note that our advertisement contracts are based on a subscription of a minimum of 4 weeks. 2

3 through International Airport and the Mingalardon Industrial Park, according to reports. Interested parties have been given until 5pm on June 29 to submits their EOIs. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the commercial arm of the World Bank, has been appointed the exclusive lead advisor on the project. Companies and Investment LPG terminal established at Thilawa Local company Elite Petrochemical Co has launched a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Terminal and Port Facility at the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on the outskirts of, according to reports. A local newspaper said that the project is the first private sector-led LPG investment operating in the country. The development is on 49 acres of land at Thilawa and was developed under a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement. The article said that the terminal and storage facilities were established with the help of China Harbour Company and China National Petroleum Company, and that in April a 1,000-tonne vessel docked for the first time at the port. A second phase of the project will include a storage for up to 25,000 tonnes of LPG and up to 100,000 tonnes of diesel and petrol. Myanmar Strategic Holdings makes investment in digital consulting firm UK-listed Myanmar Strategic Holdings (MSH) has made a minority US$150,000 investment in nexlabs, a Myanmarbased digital consulting firm. In a statement, MSH said that nexlabs has created digital products and integrated marketing solutions for international and local brands, and is one of the country s leading digital consulting firms. Its customers include Carlsberg, Samsung, Wall Street English, MPT, City Mart Holdings, Wave Money and Yoma Bank. In January, nexlabs said it had raised a six-digit equity investment by Vulpes, a Singapore-based venture capital firm. Netherlands grant programme to develop business plan for Myanmar companies Myanmar companies which have potential investment plans can invite Dutch companies to assess the technical and commercial feasibility of such investment and draft a solid business plan. Potential projects should have an envisioned investment of minimum US$ 1 million and could take place in all kinds of sectors (such as agro-food, oil & gas, automotive and logistics). There are no conditions for Myanmar companies to buy any products/services of the Netherlands companies involved in the study. Costs are taken care by the Dutch grant program. Proposals can be handed in till August Thura Swiss and its Netherlands partner can support your company with enrolment. 3

4 Events Name Details Organizer/Ministries Contact Information Retail Banking Forum 2018 Venue: Date: 01 June 2018 Charlton Media Group ext 212 Myanmar-EU Economic Forum Venue: Kempinski Hotel, Nay Pyi Taw Date: 06 June 2018 EuroCham Myanmar +95 (0) International Exhibition & Conference on Cosmetics, Beauty, Hair & Spa Venue: Novotel Max Date: June 2018 ECMI ITE Asia Sdn Bhd / 1919 Myanmar Banking & Finance Conference Venue: Date: June 2018 Sphere Conferences yaling@sphereconferences.com Argus NPK Fertilizers Conference Venue: Sule Shangri-La, Date: June 2018 Argus Media Singapore Group Pte Ltd asiaconferences@argusmedia.com Livestock Myanmar 2018 Venue: Rose Garden Hotel, Date: Sep 2018 Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertisement Services (VEAS) info@veas.com.vn Medical Myanmar Venue: Novotel Max Date: Oct 2018 Fireworks Trade Media Pte Ltd myanmar@asiafireworks.com +95 (0) (0) International Congress of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists (PRCP) and Myanmar Mental Health Conference Venue: Sedona Hotel,, Date: Oct 2018 PRCP and Myanmar Mental Health Society credential@prcp2018.org Agro Myanmar 2018 Venue: Rose Garden Hotel, Date: Nov 2018 Minh Vi Exhibition & Advertisement Services Co., Ltd info@veas.com.vn ~63 International Franchise & Business Opportunities (IFBO) Myanmar 2018 Venue: Sedona Hotel, Date: Nov 2018 BizLink Exhibition Services Pte Ltd IFBO@bizlink.com.sg Asia IoT Business Platform Myanmar Venue: Sedona Hotel, Date: Nov 2018 Industry Platform Pte Ltd register/ th International Exhibition & Conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Industry Venue: Rose Garden Hotel, Date: Dec 2018 Minh Vi Exhibition & Advertisement Services Co., Ltd (VEAS) info@veas.com.vn ~63 4

5 Tenders Ministry of Electricity and Energy: Open Tender 1. Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise under the Ministry of Electricity and Energy invites open tenders for the supply of the following items in United States Dollars and Myanmar Kyats: Sr. No. Tender No. Description No. of Items Remarks 1 IFB/002(18-19) Cement Additives 4 USD 2 DMP/L-031(18-19) Steel Ball Valves and Pipe Fittings 2 Groups 3 DMP/L-032(18-19) 2 3/8 & 2 7/8 EUE Tubing 2 4 DMP/L-033(18-19) Spares for CAT D-342 Engine 52 5 DMP/L-034(18-19) Spares for CAT D-353 PC Engine 55 6 DMP/L-035(18-19) Spares for Hitachi Excavator 72 7 DMP/L-036(18-19) Spares for Mack Truck The Open Tender forms including the description of Materials/Quantity with detailed specifications, Terms and Conditions are available for free download at the Ministry of Electricity and Energy website: from 23 rd May Interested bidders shall submit the Technical Specifications with Original Bid Bond and Commercial Quotation each in separate sealed envelopes to be addressed to the Managing Director, Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, and to reach the Tender Box of Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise not later than 4:30 p.m. on 21 st June More information can be inquired over phone under +95 (0) , +95 (0) at the Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise. Ministry of Construction: Expression of Interest (EOI) 1. Together with the Region Government, the Ministry of Construction (MOC) plans to build an approximately 47.5 kilometer long four-lane road to connect, Port, International Airport, Mingalardon Industrial Park and -Mandalay Expressway. 2. Local and international companies that are interested in designing, engineering, financing, constructing, operating and maintaining the proposed expressway under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) shall submit an Expression of Interest (EOIs) before 5:00 p.m. on 29 th June An official tender process is expected to take place later in the year and MOC may decide to split the project into sections involving multiple tenders. Each section will be developed under a PPP structure or by accepting funds from IFC. 4. The following documents shall be submitted by the interested parties: Cover letter clearly stating the interest in the project A brief profile of the interested person/party, of the company and of its group of companies (if any) Financial statement of the interested parties for the past 3 years A list of relevant Certificates (e.g. ISO certificates) A list of projects undertaken by the interested party similar to the current MOC project (maximum - 5) including Project name Location A short project description, including project length in km, and length of elevated section km Role in those projects (Investor, Contractor and/or Operator) 5

6 Total project cost and shareholding percentage (if any) invested by the interested party in those projects For international parties, a brief description of their current activities and/or involvement in Myanmar (if any) (Maximum - one page) Contact person name and detailed contact information A letter confirming the interested parties names can be published by the Ministry of Construction on its website as having submitted EOIs. Interested parties shall submit EOIs in 3 hard copies at the address below or in electronic format by at the following address: Ministry of Construction, Office No. 11, Department of Highways, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar Phone: +95 (0) Attention: U Kyi Zaw Myint, Deputy Director General, Minister s Office unionminister@construction.gov.mm Cc: kyizawmyintmyanmar@gmail.com, jleber@ifc.org, and gfridegotto@ifc.org 5. This Request for Expressions of Interest constitutes an invitation to submit an expression of interest to participate in a subsequent pre-qualification and tender(s) for the Project. It does not constitute a solicitation to invest, or otherwise participate in, or pre-qualify for, the Project. Ministry of Industry: Open Tender 1. Myanmar Pharmaceutical Industrial Enterprise under the Ministry of Industry invites open tenders for the supply of the following items: 2. Tender closing date and time: at 4:00 p.m. 3. Materials submission venue: Pharmaceutical Factory (Insein) Types Sr. No. Description No. of pairs 1 1 oz Plastic Bottle with Cap & Aluminium Top Seal 4,300,000 Plastic HDPE Bottle 2 2 oz Plastic Bottle with Cap 3,800, oz Plastic Bottle with Cap & Aluminium Top Se 1,200, oz Plastic Bottle with Cap & Aluminium Top Seal 300, /2 oz Plastic Bottle with Cap 500, ml PET Bottle with Cap (White) (31 g) 450,000 Plastic PET Bottle ml PET Bottle with Cap (Amber) (31 g) 250, ml PET Bottle with Cap (White) 900, ml PET Bottle with Cap (Amber) 1,300, Tender application submission venue: Chairman, Tender Accepting and Reviewing Committee, Ministry of Industry, Office Building No. (37), Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar 5. Detailed information on the tender can be obtained via phone under the number +95 (0) and at the Myanmar Pharmaceutical Industrial Enterprise (Head Office), Office Building No. (37), Ministry of Industry, Nay Pyi Taw. 6