Issue 167, May 28, 2015

Thura Swiss Ltd.

Thura NewsViews Economic Research
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Politics 6 1/2 Miles Pyay Road
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 President signs off controversial Population Control Bill Yangon, Myanmar
President U Thein Sein has signed off a controversial bill that critics say tar-
Myanmar Economics and Politics

gets ethnic and religious minority groups. The Population Control Bill gives
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regional authorities the power to implement birth-spacing guidelines in areas
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where there are high-rates of population growth. The government says that
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the law is needed to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates, but critics
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say that it impedes upon a woman’s reproductive rights and could be used to
suppress marginalised groups, most notably Muslim minorities. During a visit,
US Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed concern about the Subscription at:
bill. Blinken has also met with government officials in Myanmar about the www.thuraswiss.com/
“boat people” crisis in the Andaman Sea, calling on Myanmar to address the newsletter/newsletter-latest-
root causes that are driving people to sea. The Myanmar government claims issue
that those on the boats are Bangladeshis declaring themselves to stem from
Myanmar in order to get easier access to asylum in other countries.
May Highlights
 First-past-the-post system confirmed for election
Myanmar will use a first-past-the–post (FPTP) voting system for this year’s South Korea’s Namsong will link
general election, an official from the Union Election Commission (UEC) has up with local companies to start
a bus line in downtown Manda-
confirmed. Chairman of the UEC, U Tin Aye, said that any changes to the FPTP
lay
system needed to be made before the end of April, but that the deadline has
now passed. The system will be used in the upcoming election for both the Dulwich College International
upper and lower houses of parliament, as well as for regional parliaments. He has signed an agreement to
added that a Proportional Representation (PR) system, which some political open British College Yangon at
parties have been fighting for, could be used in future elections if the neces- Star City in Yangon’s outskirts
sary laws are changed.

Economy
 Slowdown in Mandalay jade market
Weekly Newsletter

Jade sellers at Mandalay’s Maha Aung Myay market say that prices for the
product remain low, mainly due to a decreased demand from China, accord-
ing to a local report. Much of Myanmar’s jade is sold to buyers who come

This newsletter was written by Thura Swiss Research. Thura Swiss Research is non-partisan and expresses no other views than those of its author(s). These
views may be subject to change in the future without any obligation on the part of Thura Swiss to reflect these changes in the current publication. The
information contained in this publication has been obtained from public sources and Thura Swiss is not responsible for its accuracy. The information in the
publication does not constitute provision of investment advice.
 Thura NewsViews 28.05.2015

across the Chinese border, but traders say that now much lower prices are Myanmar in Figures
offered. Myanmar’s jade market tends to spike around Chinese New Year and
GDP (PPP): $111.1bn (2013)
Thingyan holidays, but even those holidays have seen slower returns, according
GDP (official ex.rate): $59.43bn (2013)
to the report. Reasons for the decreased demand include a crackdown on cor-
ruption in China, high prices in the main jade-mining area of Hpakant, a short- GDP growth rate: 6.8% (FY2014-15 proj.)
age of high-quality stone and continued fighting in jade-rich Kachin State. Population: 51.4mn people (2014)
Myanmar Economics and Politics

 Government defends reliance on coal-powered projects Inflation: 6.0% (2014)

Despite calls from environmentalists to find a cleaner form of energy, the gov- Foreign trade: $18bn (FY2012-13)
ernment has said that it will continue to increase Myanmar’s reliance on coal-
FDI: $49.9bn (30/09/2014)
fired power plants. Speaking in parliament, U Aung Than Oo, Deputy Minister of
Electric Power, said that due to an expected growth in electricity consumption International reserves: $8.3bn (Dec 2013)

over the next 15 years, plans for coal-fired plants around the country should Kyat/$ = 1090K/1$ (28/05/15)
continue. He also said that natural gas, wind power, solar energy and hydro-
power projects should go ahead as planned “for the benefit of the public and
state.” A total of 18 coal-fired power plants are planned around the country, in
Sagaing, Ayeyarwady, Yangon and Tanintharyi regions, and Shan and Mon For advertising with
states.
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Companies and Investments contact us by email
 Contracts for second round of telecoms tower building
info@thuraswiss.com
Telenor has reached agreements with two companies for the construction of
almost 1,500 telecoms towers in the country. The Norwegian telecoms compa- or by phone
ny, which entered Myanmar’s market after winning an international tender in
2013, has contracted Apollo Towers and Eco-Friendly Towers (EFT) to construct +95 (0)1-654 730
more than 700 towers each. Telenor’s relationship with Apollo is a continuation
from the first round of towers, while EFT is a new arrival and is a subsidiary of Please note that our advertise-
local conglomerate Young Investment Group. The other international telecoms ment contracts are based on a
operator Ooredoo has also reached an agreement on the second round of its subscription of a minimum of 4
tower construction, contracting Myanmar Infrastructure Group (MIG) and Irra- weeks.
waddy Green Towers to build new towers. MIG is a subsidiary of Singapore

Thura Swiss Data Box

Weekly Newsletter

For the coming weeks, Thura Swiss will provide snapshots of the structures of ministries in Myanmar.

Ministry of Energy
Myanma
MyanmarPetroleum Products
Petroleum Products Enterprise
Enterprise (MPPE)
(MPPE) Tel: +95(0)67-411117
Fax: +95(0)67-411281

MD Office

Material Planning General Admin

Marketing Dept. Aviation Dept. Planning Dept. Statistics Dept. Finance Dept.
Dept. Dept.

Source: Thura Swiss Analysis

This newsletter was written by Thura Swiss Research. Thura Swiss Research is non-partisan and expresses no other views than those of its author(s). These
views may be subject to change in the future without any obligation on the part of Thura Swiss to reflect these changes in the current publication. The
information contained in this publication has been obtained from public sources and Thura Swiss is not responsible for its accuracy. The information in the
publication does not constitute provision of investment advice.
 Thura NewsViews 28.05.2015

Windsor Holdings and is another new entrant to the market in Myanmar. Ooredoo had contracted Pan Asia Towers
and Myanmar Tower Company (MTC) for its first round of towers, but as yet no agreement has been reached with
those companies on the second round. MTC, which is owned by Digicel Group and Yoma Strategic Holdings, has re-
cently been put up for sale.

 UPS expands Myanmar operations

Package delivery company United Parcel Service (UPS) has said that it will expand its services within Myanmar, nam-
Myanmar Economics and Politics

ing continued economic growth and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) as reasons. The US firm began introduc-
ing air and ocean freight services in August last year, but has expanded its services to include in-house customs clear-
ance and guaranteed door-to-door delivery to over 200 countries and territories from Myanmar. U Htin Lin, director
of UPS’ local partner United Courier Services, said that UPS’ expansion in Myanmar will encourage other Western
companies to enter Myanmar. Jim O’Gara, president of UPS’ South Asia District said that the AEC would be key to
driving prosperity in the region and that the company could help Myanmar businesses to take advantage of the op-
portunities on offer. The company also said that it will be key in helping to develop Myanmar’s Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs).

 Marubeni to develop gas power plant

Japan’s Marubeni has reached an agreement with the local conglomerate Eden Group and Thailand’s PTT to develop a
gas-fired power plant in Myanmar. The development will be located in Thanlyin township on the outskirts of Yangon
and is expected to provide power to the nearby Thilawa Special Economic Zone. Marubeni says that by providing in-
creased power to Thilawa, they hope to encourage more businesses to operate out of the Japan-led SEZ. Work on the
US$ 325 million project will begin in 2016, and the plant is expected to go live in 2019. Marubeni already has plans to
develop a coal-powered plant in the south of the country, while other Japanese firms Mitsui & Co and Sumitomo Corp
are looking at projects in Myanmar’s power generation sector, which is cited for substantial growth in the coming
years.

 Gap production triples since arrival

American clothing retailer Gap said that it has more than tripled the output at two Yangon factories in the first year of
operation in Myanmar. The company’s director of government and public affairs, Debbie Mesloh, made the an-
nouncement to reporters following a US Trade Representative Labour Initiatives stakeholder forum. She said that,
although the company wanted to begin its productions on a smaller scale, they plan to also raise the bar for labour
Weekly Newsletter

This newsletter was written by Thura Swiss Research. Thura Swiss Research is non-partisan and expresses no other views than those of its author(s). These
views may be subject to change in the future without any obligation on the part of Thura Swiss to reflect these changes in the current publication. The
information contained in this publication has been obtained from public sources and Thura Swiss is not responsible for its accuracy. The information in the
publication does not constitute provision of investment advice.
 Thura NewsViews 28.05.2015

standards by ensuring the safety of its workers. Mesloh said that Gap, who is sourcing from two South Korean-
owned factories in Myanmar, is working closely with both the Myanmar and United States governments, as well as
the International Labour Organisation (ILO), to eradicate child labour, ensure adequate pay and provide worker edu-
cation programmes. In June last year, Gap became the first US-based clothing manufacturer to begin operations in
Myanmar. Myanmar’s garment industry is seen to have a huge potential, but has faced issues in the past related to
the treatment of workers.
Myanmar Economics and Politics

 Melvyn Pun appointed CEO of Yoma Strategic

Melvyn Pun, the son of company Chairman Serge Pun, will take over as Chief Executive Officer of Yoma Strategic
Holdings, as the company continues its plans to diversify its portfolio. Melvyn Pun, who was previously a US invest-
ment banker for Goldman Sachs and CEO of Serge Pun and Associates (SPA), will take over from current CEO Andrew
Rickards on July 27, according to a statement from the company. Reports say that Rickards is expected to stay on as
an adviser to the company for the rest of the year. Property currently makes up 81 percent of the company’s reve-
nues, with major projects including Pun Hlaing, Star City and the Landmark project in downtown Yangon, but the
company said it will “be taking a cautious approach” to new real estate developments over the next year. In recent
years, the company has made ventures into other sectors such as tourism, automobiles and distribution and is cur-
rently preparing to bring the KFC franchise to Myanmar.

 KBZ finalises credit card deal

Kanbawza Bank (KBZ) has said that it will introduce the first credit card in more than a decade to the country. Ac-
cording to KBZ Card Department deputy general manager Daw Swe Zin Win, the interest rate will be 13 percent a
year, but if customers pay back the cost within a certain timeframe, no interest will be charged. No details have yet
been given of what the timeframe will be. According to a press release, the new cards will operate on a “buy now,
pay later” system, in the same way credit cards work elsewhere in the world. Applications for the cards will take
three to five days, depending on the level of trust KBZ has with the customer, the bank said. Most cards currently
operating within Myanmar are prepaid debit cards. Banks in Myanmar were previously allowed to operate credit
cards, but the practice was stopped by the Central Bank of Myanmar following the 2003 banking crisis.
Weekly Newsletter

This newsletter was written by Thura Swiss Research. Thura Swiss Research is non-partisan and expresses no other views than those of its author(s). These
views may be subject to change in the future without any obligation on the part of Thura Swiss to reflect these changes in the current publication. The
information contained in this publication has been obtained from public sources and Thura Swiss is not responsible for its accuracy. The information in the
publication does not constitute provision of investment advice.
 Thura NewsViews 28.05.2015

Events
Name Details Organizer/Ministries Contact Information
BuildTech Yangon 2015 Venue: MCC, Yangon Sphere Exhibits Tel: +65 6319 4020
Date: 27-29 May 2015 sphere@sph.com.sg

Food & Hotel Myanmar 2015 Venue: Myanmar Event Park Bangkok Exhibition Ser- Tel: +66 (0)2615 1255
Myanmar Economics and Politics

Date: 03-05 June 2015 vices Ltd

Myanmar Economic Re- Venue: Nilar Yatu Hall, Yangon Centre of Excellence for e.de@unesco.org
forms: The Pathway to University of Economics, Inya Business Skill Develop-
Growth. Seminar and panel Road ment, Yangon University
session with U Aung Naing Date: 08 June, 10:0 to 12:30 of Economics, UNESCO
Oo (DICA), Roland Kobia (EU
Ambassador), Serge Pun and
others
Myanmar Hospitality & Tour- Venue: Kempinski Hotel, NPT Myanmar Tourism Feder- Tel: +65 68486056
ism Conference 2015 Date: 08-10 June 2015 ation
Myanmar Phar-Med Expo Venue: MCC, Yangon VEAS Tel: +95 09420025684
2015 Date: 09-11 June 2015 info@minhvi.com
Myanmar Corporate Finance Venue: Chatrium Hotel, Yan- Magenta Global Pte Ltd Tel: +65 6391 2532
2015 gon nico@magenta-global.com.sg
Date: 09-10 June 2015
Cosmobeaute Myanmar Venue: MCC, Yangon Cosmobeaute/ ECMI ITE Tel: +603 8023 0820
2015 Date: 11-13 June 2015 enquiry@ecmi.com.my

Myanmar International Tex- Venue: Myanmar Event Park Myanmar Garment Man- Tel: +95 012300253
tile & Garment Industry Exhi- (MEP), Yangon ufacturers Association inquiries@myanmargarments.org
bition (MTG) Date: 26-29 June 2015 (MGMA)
Auto Expo Myanmar Venue: Myanmar Event Park Auto Expo Myanmar myanmarfairs@taitra.org.tw
(Myanmar International Auto (MEP), Yangon
Parts & accessories Exhibi- Date: 22-25 July 2015
Weekly Newsletter

tion)
Myanmar Banking and Fi- Venue: tbc Sphere Conferences Tel: +65 6848 6056
nance Conference 2015 Date: 27-28 July 2015

Builders Myanmar 2015 Venue: Tatmadaw Hall, Yangon Fireworks Myanmar Tel: +951 378410
Date: 13-15 August 2015 Myanmar@asiafireworks.com

Myanmar Green Energy Sum- Venue: Sule Shangri-La Hotel, Confexhub Tel: +603 40455999, 40505099
mit 2015 Yangon conference@confexhub.com
Date: 17-18 August 2015
Myanmar Connect 2015 Venue: tbc, NPT Capacity Conferences Tel: +44(0)20 7779 7206
Date: 15-16 September 2015 confeences@capacitymedia.com

This newsletter was written by Thura Swiss Research. Thura Swiss Research is non-partisan and expresses no other views than those of its author(s). These
views may be subject to change in the future without any obligation on the part of Thura Swiss to reflect these changes in the current publication. The
information contained in this publication has been obtained from public sources and Thura Swiss is not responsible for its accuracy. The information in the
publication does not constitute provision of investment advice.
 Thura NewsViews 28.05.2015

Tenders
 Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation: Open Tender
The Irrigation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation has invited an open tender to purchase the
following items in both Myanmar Kyats and USD:

No Tender No Description Quantity Currency

Myanmar Economics and Politics

1) FQ(1) Machinery Spare Parts /IRR/2015-2016 Machinery Spare Parts 1 Lot USD

2) 2(Q) Survey Equipments/ Local Purchase/ IRR/ 2015-2016 Survey Equipments 1 Lot MMK

3) 3(Q) Deformed Bar/ Local Purchase/ IRR/ 2015-2016 Deformer Bar 1 Lot MMK

4) 4(Q) Battery/ Local Purchase/ IRR/ 2015-2016 Battery 1 Lot MMK

5) 5 (Q) Tyre/Local Purchase/ IRR/ 2015-2016 Tyre 1 Lot MMK

6) 6 (Q) Lubricants/ Local Purchase/ IRR/ 2015-2016 Lubricants 1 Lot MMk

Tender documents are available at No (43) Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Nay Pyi Taw commencing from 27
May 2015. Further information can be obtained by phone at +95 (0)67-410316, 410317.

 Ministry of Construction: Open Tender

The Ministry of Construction has invited an open tender to purchase the following items in USD:

No Tender No Description Volume Currency

1) 1T (C)Procurement/ Bitumen-Tender/ 2015-2016 Bitumen 80/100 27,000 metric tons USD

Tender forms are available at Office No. (11) Ministry of Construction, Nay Pyi Taw commencing from 28 May 2015.
Tender documents are to be submitted no later than 4pm on 19 June 2015. Further information can be obtained by
phone at +95 (0)67-407577, 407561.

 Ministry of Health: Tender

The Department of Medical Care under the Ministry of Health has invited for a sealed tender for the supply of medical
equipment and ambulances. Tender Documents are available during office hours at the Central Medical Stores Depot
Weekly Newsletter

Office commencing from 27 May 2015. Sealed bids are to be submitted to the office no later than 2pm on 26 June
2015. Further information can be obtained by phone at +95 (0)1-371969, 372362, 371284.

 Ministry of Energy: Letter of Expression of Interest (LOEI)

Myanma Petrochemical Enterprise (MPE) under the Ministry of Energy has invited for letters expressing interest to
operate a Joint Venture project of laboratory services which analyses the specification and qualification of petroleum
and petrochemical products in accordance with the standards of the International Organization of Standardization
(ISO). The required data for the LOEI submission and information are available in the Ministry of Energy website
(http://www.energy.gov.mm). The LOEI shall be submitted to Building No.(44), Myanma Petrochemical Enterprise,
Nay Pyi Taw no later than 12pm on 15 July 2015.

This newsletter was written by Thura Swiss Research. Thura Swiss Research is non-partisan and expresses no other views than those of its author(s). These
views may be subject to change in the future without any obligation on the part of Thura Swiss to reflect these changes in the current publication. The
information contained in this publication has been obtained from public sources and Thura Swiss is not responsible for its accuracy. The information in the
publication does not constitute provision of investment advice.