Democratic Voice of Burma |
- Building code to shore up rickety construction sector
- Taxman hopes Burmese will stop evading him
- Serge Pun and partner to develop hotel at former railway HQ
- DVB talks to Tony Picon, Colliers International
- SSA-S says it seeks separate ceasefire deal
- DVB Debate: The peace puzzle
| Building code to shore up rickety construction sector Posted: 12 Mar 2014 04:51 AM PDT Construction projects in Burma will soon be regulated under a national building code. The Myanmar [Burma] National Building Code, designed to ensure procedural safety and combat embezzlement, is currently being drafted, according to Than Myint, chairman of the Committee for Quality Control of High-rise Building Projects (CQHP). Than Myint, speaking at the Myanmar Construction Seminar in Rangoon on Tuesday, said planners are looking to building codes in other countries because there is no precedent in Burma, adding that drafting of the code has been in progress since 2012. "Despite continuing construction," he said, "we have yet to enforce any regulation." A lack of procedures or regulations for construction operation has exacerbated embezzlement in the industry — builders cut corners on safety in order to pocket extra profit — often resulting in poor quality, hazardous structures. Than Myint said that a building code must be coupled with the establishment of disciplinary boards. He believes penalising those who fail to uphold the code is necessary to ensure better building quality as well as safety standards in construction. "There may also be some buildings constructed in the past that need reviewing. It is important to set a schedule for check-up systems on these buildings – say once every three months, six months, or one year," said Than Myint. The increased focus on building regulation comes as the Myanmar Construction Seminar continues for a second day. Over 400 political officials and private sector leaders have attended the seminar, which introduced foreign and domestic builders to the bourgeoning construction industry in Rangoon. Construction Minister Kyaw Lwin told the seminar that 22 major development projects are soon to be revealed, adding that 60 percent of construction work would be implemented under private contract. |
| Taxman hopes Burmese will stop evading him Posted: 12 Mar 2014 04:34 AM PDT Following two days of painstaking discussions, Burma's Union Parliament has passed bills amending the Income Tax Law and the Commercial Tax Law. Lower house representative Win Oo said that the new laws will clean up Burma's finances and encourage order in the federal tax system. "By paying the tax, a citizen's money will become as legitimate as declared money," he said. "[It will be] 'white money', in street terms, which allows people to buy capital assets such as a house, land, apartment and car without paying additional tax." Tax for buying assets with undeclared money, known as "black money", is set at three percent for property valued between one and 50 million kyat, 10 percent for 50 to 150 million, and 20 percent for 150 to 300 million. Tax is set at 30 percent for assets valued at 300 million kyat or higher. "We aim to educate our citizens and clarify the tax system, and convince them to pay tax lawfully," said Win Oo. The new law also raises the minimum taxable yearly income to 2 million kyat (US$2,000), up from the previous 1.4 million (US$1,400). Related StoriesAccording to the amendment, those who make two to five million kyat annually must pay 5 percent income tax; 10 percent for income of five to 10 million; 15 percent for 10 to 20 million; and 20 percent for 20 to 30 million. Income above 30 million kyat will be taxed at 25 percent. Another lower house member, Tin New Oo, said the bill also grants certain exemptions on earned income and offers tax relief for families. Monday's parliamentary session went on until 8pm — an unusually lengthy, even record debate time – before the house passed on Tuesday the amendments to the Income Tax Law and the Commercial Tax Law, changes that have been prioritised in advance of the 2014-15 fiscal year, which begins in April. The Bill Amending the Commercial Tax Law issues a 50 percent tax rate for alcohol and drugs; 100 percent tax on cigarettes and tobacco products; 30 percent for precious gems; 15 for finished jewellery products; 25 for hardwood and sawn logs; 10 for petrol and diesel; and 8 percent for natural gas. Han Tun, former Internal Revenue Department (IRD) official and now a financial columnist, said it would be hard to tell how successful the new legislation will be in terms of getting people to pay their taxes. "The percentage of tax has been reduced, and the minimum eligible wage to pay tax has been raised – in a way the tax system is becoming fairer but I think there is still a lot of work to do," he said. "Inform the people about it so they are convinced they should pay tax, otherwise it will be hard to achieve." Last week the IRD released a list of over 10,000 companies in Burma that have evaded tax since 2012, vowing to take legal action without prompt disbursement of outstanding taxes.
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| Serge Pun and partner to develop hotel at former railway HQ Posted: 12 Mar 2014 02:33 AM PDT Rangoon's iconic former British Burma Railway Company headquarters, one of the city's oldest colonial-era buildings, is on track for a makeover that will leave it looking a lot more like a luxury hotel. Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd (YSH) and Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd (HSH) announced on Monday that they will partner on the development of the Peninsula Yangon [Rangoon], a five-star resort that will incorporate the 1880s structure into a more modern type of travel hub. "We believe that working with one of Asia's most established hotel owner-operators and creator of world-class experiences will be invaluable in restoring the building to its former glory," said Serge Pun, Chairman of YSH, "as well as bring to Yangon a new luxury experience." Pun's new partner, HSH Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Clement K.M. Kwok, shared the enthusiasm, calling it "a privilege" to work with those "who share our long-term vision for the success of this project and have a proven track record of successful investments in Myanmar [Burma]." Over the past week, YSH has unveiled a deluge of project plans for the rapidly transforming country — several in Rangoon, the nation's gracefully dilapidated former capital. The company has recently announced a 10-acre development site surrounding the British Burma Railway Company building. The project is backed by the International Finance Corporation and will include two office towers, a commercial centre and several other buildings. YSH, which is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, is the largest investment firm in Burma and permeates nearly every industry in the newly accessible market, with a major foothold in the real estate, agriculture and automotive industries. As that hold becomes exponentially stronger throughout Burma's reform process and Rangoon's urban renaissance, Kwok said that HSH are "delighted" to enter "one of the world's most exciting emerging markets". |
| DVB talks to Tony Picon, Colliers International Posted: 11 Mar 2014 11:02 PM PDT DVB Interview International spoke to Tony Picon, the managing director of commercial real estate firm Colliers International in Burma, about the state of the country's property market while requesting advice for foreign companies and investors who are thinking of making the move into Burma. Picon said that foreigners who are interested in coming to Burma should realise that they would be operating in a frontier market. "Myanmar [Burma] has opened up to a very different world," Picon said. "It's not going to change overnight. The expectation that we're going to see Singapore tomorrow in Myanmar or Thailand, Indonesia or Vietnam is very optimistic – so we have to be patient." Picon acknowledged that the country has progressed from where it was a few years ago when President Thein Sein came to power. "The country is moving – it's moved incredibly far from where it began. But it's still not good enough for a lot of people and investors. And they have to be careful and patient with the way the country is opening up and allow Myanmar time to understand the world as it is now," he said. Before moving to Burma, Picon said businesses should do their homework about the country and the market they will be operating in. "Investigate, research, come to the country, visit, talk to as many people as possible, but really look at yourself as a company and say, 'Are we ready to come to Myanmar?', 'What is our experience of frontier markets?'" he said. One of the main risks of operating in Burma is finding the right joint-venture (JV) partner. Picon said companies should do due diligence on potential partners and they should be aware that sanctions by certain governments are still in place. Related Stories"There are plenty of good people to work with," he said. "But you have to go in with your eyes wide open. You have to check on your due diligence for sanctioned parties." Another challenge businesses face is finding skilled labour in the country. "You're going to see a need for skilled people in all areas and there is a lack of that skill … But there is a very strong willingness for people to move up quickly." To help improve the lack of skilled labour, Picon said companies should do their part in capacity-building. "[Burma] is trying to attract companies who do that, who create training programmes and better conditions for their employees," he said. House prices in Rangoon are comparatively high for a Southeast Asian city, and some property is more expensive than apartments in New York. Picon said it would take a long time for prices to drop. "There's no speculative bubble that can burst because there is no bank finance which underpins it," he said. Picon said land prices were a different issue as the owners could sit on the land for years without changing the price. "There are very limited options for people to store their wealth, and so land becomes one of the safest. That really underpins the whole of the property market here," he said. There has been very little commercial interaction in the past between foreigners and locals that has allowed the introduction of feasibility studies and valuations on land, Picon said. "It's very much the Myanmar from Mars, foreigners from Venus, that they've only just collided in the last two years, and beforehand there was hardly any interaction in terms of land. So I can understand why there is this dislocate," said Picon. "[If] Myanmar people understood that it's not foreigners trying to get a cheap cheap cheap deal, it's not a negotiation tactic, it's genuine. In order for a project to be feasible, the land price must be reasonable."
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| SSA-S says it seeks separate ceasefire deal Posted: 11 Mar 2014 10:55 PM PDT The Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) has said that it will not fully adhere to any nationwide ceasefire agreement, but will instead work towards a separate peace deal with the Burmese government. Speaking to DVB on Tuesday, SSA-S spokesperson Sai La said, "We are participating in the country's peace process as an ethnic armed organisation; however with regard to the nationwide ceasefire agreement, we will only sign clauses we agree with. "We are looking forward to further negotiations with the IPMWC [government's Internal Peace Making Work Committee] about the details we would like to add and amend." The Shan rebel announcement comes just two days after a coalition of 17 ethnic armed groups – collectively known as the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) – met with the IPMWC in Rangoon where they agreed to proceed towards the final draft of a ceasefire plan. The SSA-S, often referred to as the Restoration Council of Shan State or RCSS, on Tuesday said it welcomed the agreement between the NCCT and the IPMWC but maintained that it intends to seek a ceasefire on its own terms. Sai La said the Shan group has informed Naypyidaw of its decision. An SSA-S delegation met in January with the IPMWC's deputy-chair Minister Aung Min who pledged a second round of talks the following month, but the meeting did not go ahead. The SSA-S has announced it is soliciting the opinions of the Shan population and civil society organisations with regard to the Shan army making peace with the government. For more background: https://www.dvb.no/news/thein-sein-rebel-leader-hold-historic-talks-in-naypyidaw/28720 |
| Posted: 11 Mar 2014 08:58 PM PDT The internal conflict in Burma is the world's longest running civil war, with ethnic armed groups fighting for some form of autonomy, since 1948. Since a new quasi-civilian government came to power in 2011 almost all armed groups have reached individual ceasefire agreements with the government, but some fighting still continues. Peace talks are ongoing but have been unable to reach a solution that would lead to a nationwide ceasefire. On the panel this week, Doi Bu, MP of the Unity and Democracy Party Kachin; Dr. Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong, of the National Cease Fire Coordination Team (NCCT); Myanmar Peace Centre representative Hla Maung Shwe; and Sithu Aung Myint, a well known journalist who has fought in the civil conflict. Panellists argued about whether there should be more transparency in the peace process. Doi Bu insisted that key issues are hidden from parliament. “The process should have transparency,” she said. “Until now there are some things that are not even known by us, the parliamentarians.” However, Hla Maung Shwe objected, explaining that all decisions are shared publicly.  Cartoon: DVB Debate “When the official discussion starts we invite the media. And after the discussion we give them the statements of both sides and make a press conference," he said. Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong agreed, and insisted that the ethnic groups do not hide anything. However, he conceded that some military information is not for sharing. “From our ethnic side there is nothing to hide. Concerned with the military it is not suitable for us to show everything,” he said. Sakhong argued that the peace process is still at a military stage, and is not yet ready for discussion in a political arena. However Doi Bu thought there should be more involvement from parliament, and a greater link between the ethnic representatives in parliament and ethic groups. She said she wants to be allowed to take part in ethnic conferences and discussions about the nationwide ceasefire, such as the Laiza summit held in Kachin State in October last year. “As a Kachin I wanted to go to Laiza to get information to share in the parliament but they don't call us and I am upset about that. We are not connected to each other," she said. However, Sithu Aung Myint said that there are members of parliament involved in the process already. “This is a problem of the parliament,” he said. “In the peace committee there are representatives from parliament at the central level and their responsibility is to share to the parliamentarians. As far as I know there is no sharing so that's why parliamentarians don't know. It's a problem on this side. It's not true that the other side is hiding.” However, there are still obstacles for those who want to get involved in the process without official permission. Laws such as the Illegal Association Act prevent association with armed groups. Although the government themselves are now meeting with these ethnic armies, other citizens still risk arrest for involvement with these groups. But Doi Bu says this won't put her off. “So now they are talking even with the government so if they talk with us, and if they want to arrest us, let them arrest us,” she said. Audience member Khon Ja from the Kachin Peace Network tells the panellists there should be less discussion about the peace talks and more focus on ending the conflict in reality. Related Stories“Whether they sign the ceasefire or not is not important. What is important is to actually stop the fighting,” she said. Hla Maung Shwe agreed that the peace process is still fragile and a return to conflict is still a possibility if trust breaks down. “To speak frankly, both sides of the armed forces are holding the weapons so even though we don't say it out loud if the peace is dismissed both sides will fight. Both sides are preparing for this but we don't want this to happen. But I want to highlight that it seems like trust is the highest,” he said. However, Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong insisted that a return to conflict is the last thing ethnic armies want. “From the ethnic side, nobody wants to fight, nobody wants to hold the weapons. We want to create our life peacefully. Secondly, I want everyone to understand that there is no ethnic armed organisation that wants to solve these political problems by means of armed rebellion. So, the ones who want to end this armed revolution, to end this civil war most, is us,” he said. The panel seemed to agree that the nationwide ceasefire should be signed before the next elections in 2015 and that the political dialogue should start as soon as possible afterwards. You can join the debate and watch the full programme in Burmese at dvbdebate.com Or share your views with us by commenting on our website at dvb.no |
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