Myanmar Business and Development Week - Unleashing Myanmar’s Potential

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will spearhead a series of workshops and talks designed to further strengthen the capacity of Myanmar’s private sector and equip the Government of Myanmar with the tools and knowledge to create a supportive business environment.
The so-called Myanmar Business and Development Week will take place Sept 23-27 in Yangon in partnership with ESCAP Business Advisory Council (EBAC) and the United Nations Trade and Productive Capacity Cluster and in association with Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI).
“Over the course of five days we will deal with the crucial task of equipping all our participants with the necessary tools to promote, learn and also question diverse issues in creating an enabling and successful business environment”, said
Marc Proksch, Chief of the Business and Development Section in Trade and Investment Division, ESCAP.
Participants will have the opportunity to attend more than 20 specialised lectures and technical sessions. Following the themes “Creating Value at Home and Abroad” and “Enhancing Competitiveness”, the sessions will cover topics including “FDI Policies and Strategies for Inclusive and Sustainable Development”, “Global Value Chains and Enterprise Clusters”, “Designing Supply Chains for Success”, “Women Entrepreneurship in Agro-business”, “Development of a National Export Strategy” and “Social Media for Business.”
Myanmar is seen to have a huge potential. It is rich in natural resources with a young workforce and is geographically close to Asia’s most dynamic trading economies. But Myanmar, like other Least Developed Countries (LDCs), has not been as successful in effectively integrating into the regional and global economy despite membership of the WTO and ASEAN. It has weak trade and investment linkages with ASEAN and other neighbouring countries, such as China and India.
This is in part due to its past isolation; as Myanmar undergoes reforms it is offering opportunities for trade- and investment-led inclusive growth. “We all have witnessed Myanmar embarking on a major set of reforms manifested mainly through increased international trade and foreign investment”, said Proksch. Yet, Myanmar needs to prepare for the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.
Increasing integration can bring numerous benefits starting with better employment opportunities and greater household purchasing power. Broader linkages with trading partners can facilitate economic diversification, enhancing resilience to external shocks. Recognising a pressing need to assist LDCs with better integration into global and regional trade and value chains, ESCAP has developed a specially designed programme of capacity building to support LDCs.
Business and Development Week is supported by Japanese and Korean governments and will take place at Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), No.29, Min Ye Kyawswa Road, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon.
Among the speakers are Chote Sophonpanich, EBAC Vice Chairman and Executive Chairman of Green Spot Thailand Co, and Chairman of Krungdhep Sophon Pcl, Mr. U Win Aung, President of UMFCCI,
Mr. Ashok Nigam UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative; H.E. Mikio Numata Ambassador of Japan to The Union of Myanmar.
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For further information, please contact:
Ms. Francyne Harrigan, Chief, Strategic Communications and Advocacy Section, ESCAP
T: (66) 2 288 1864 / M: (66) 81 835 8677 / E: harriganf@un.org