Thursday 11 July 2013

US-ASEAN business council mission meets key Myanmar leaders

American business groups were in Myanmar this week on a mission to offer support for the country's economic reforms and discuss opportunities to support Myanmar's 2014 chairmanship of Asean.


The mission was organised by the US-Asean Business Council and led by a delegation of senior US business executives. They met with key leaders including President Thein Sein, Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament Thura U Shwe Mann, and Chair of the National League for Democracy and Member of Parliament Aung San Suu Kyi. The delegation was led by Mariano Vela, president of Unocal Myanmar Offshore and chair of the council's Myanmar Committee, and Alexander Feldman, president of the US-Asean Business Council.

"One year ago, the US-Asean Business Council led the first US business mission to Myanmar, two days after the suspension of sanctions. At that time, no US company had made a new investment or set up a new office," said Alexander Feldman of the US-Asean Business Council. "As we conclude our second mission, many of our members, including Coca-Cola, GE, GM, Ford, Deloitte, ACE, KPMG, Cisco and others have made investments or opened distributorships and representative offices. There is the potential for much greater investment and engagement, and this mission is intended to lay the groundwork for continued cooperation with Myanmar's government, businesses, and people to further improve the business environment and enhance the opportunities available to Myanmar's people.

The business mission offered support for Myanmar's continued economic reforms and discussed opportunities to support Myanmar's 2014 ASEAN chairmanship, as well as sharing US companies' commitment to responsible investment and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

"In our discussion with the Myanmar government, leaders outlined a series of priorities to o address, including availability of electricity, physical infrastructure, development of the agricultural sector, access to telecommunications including the Internet, and skills development and education," added Feldman. "We held productive discussions around how US companies might support these goals," Feldman added.

The delegation was in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw. In the capital city, it was received by Myanmar's key leaders including Thein Sein, Thura U Shwe Mann and Suu Kyi.

The delegation was also received by Minister of National Planning and Economic Development Dr Kan Zaw, Minister in the President's Office Soe Thein, Minister of Energy Than Htay, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Myat Hein, Minister of Commerce Win Myint, Minister of Health Dr Pe Thet Khin, Central Bank Governor Than Nyein, Deputy Minister of Finance Dr Lin Aung, as well as numerous members of parliament.

In Yangon, the delegation held a discussion with the chief minister of the Yangon region Myint Swe and Deputy Minister of Labour Myint Thein in conjunction with UMFCCI, as well as a briefing with US Ambassador Derek Mitchell and his staff.

Companies participating in the mission included ACE, AIG, AT&T, Baker & McKenzie, Caterpillar, Chevron, Cisco, Citi, ConocoPhillips, Deloitte & Touche, General Electric, General Motors, IBM, KPMG, McLarty Associates, Metlife, Merck, Oracle, P&G, RMA, TE Connectivity and Visa.

source: The Nation

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