A Near-Term Economic Outlook for Post-Coup Myanmar
MYANMAR STUDIES PROGRAMME WEBINAR
About the Webinar
Four months since the military seized power in Myanmar, the protests and retaliatory crackdowns continue, with increasing violence and wide-ranging consequences for communities across the country. In addition to heightened safety risks, the population now faces increased risks to livelihoods as insecurity disrupts the entire economy, from the agriculture sector on which the majority traditionally depend for a living, to banking and telecoms which had underpinned the modernisation of the economy since 2012. While the State Administration Council announced in February that it intended to be more “business-friendly”, its actions since then, have cast that in doubt and raised fears of a return to the pre-2010 military-dominated economy. The World Bank forecast in March that Myanmar’s economy is expected to contract by 10% in 2021, reversing its previous prediction in October 2020 that anticipated 5.9% growth. The UNDP has recently reported that in an extreme scenario 48.2% of population could be living in poverty in 2022.
This webinar will discuss the near-term prospects for the economy and people’s lives in Myanmar.
About the Speakers
Vicky Bowman has been the Director of Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) since July 2013. Prior to that, she led global mining company Rio Tinto’s policy approach to transparency, human rights, and resource nationalism issues. Vicky has served as the UK Ambassador to Myanmar (2002-06) and as Second Secretary (1990-93). She has also worked in Brussels as Member of Cabinet of European Commissioner Chris Patten and as press spokeswoman for the UK representation to the European Union.
Pwint Htun is President and Founder of Mobilizing Myanmar, a multi-sector digital and financial inclusion initiative leveraging smartphones to connect women to economic opportunity. An engineer, social entrepreneur, U.S. telecom executive and architect of Myanmar’s digital financial services industry, Pwint has advised senior government officials and parliamentarians in the previous administrations of Myanmar since 2012, on digital inclusion and financial services for the poor. Pwint is a non-resident Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Registration
This webinar will be delivered online entirely. You can join the webinar at the specified date and time using devices (computer, phone, or tablet) with internet connection.
Please register here (https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cvG4yxgLRkugqEG1pVROBA)
to receive your unique link for joining the webinar.
Limited spaces only, register early to avoid disappointment.
To join the webinar,
- Install the Zoom client onto your computer or download the app on your mobile device.
- Click on the unique link in your email.
If you have questions for the speakers, please key in your questions via the Q&A, stating your name and affiliation. The moderator will field them to the speakers during the Q&A session.