Myanmar parliament’s agenda: reshaping the economy Reply

Workers count Burmese kyat currency at a bank in Yangon, Myanmar.

Workers count Burmese kyat currency at a bank in Yangon, Myanmar.

Reposted from The Chicago Tribune
By Alan Raybould

YANGON (Reuters) – A year and a half after it opened to skepticism from the West, Myanmar’s fledgling parliament reconvenes this week for its biggest task yet: debating an ambitious set of laws to reshape an economy that wilted during half a century of military rule.

The assembly was written off as a sham when it opened in January 2011, but the lawmakers are getting bolder and more vocal and the new session will be a test of their reformist mettle, even if opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is not taking her seat this week, citing exhaustion. More…

Asian bourses vie for foothold in Myanmar Reply

Yangon, Myanmar

Yangon, Myanmar

Originally posted by AFP

YANGON: Two of Asia’s biggest stock exchanges are fighting for dominance in the world’s hottest new frontier market as investors beat a path to Myanmar following the end of decades of military rule.

The operator of the Tokyo Stock Exchange announced last month a deal with Myanmar’s central bank to open a stock market in the country formerly known as Burma along with Japan’s Daiwa Securities, after years of discussions. More…