Azeem Azimuddin

Open for Business: Myanmar's Great Comeback

Staci Warden, Azeem Azimuddin, Serge Pun, Sean Turnell

A panel of economists and investors assessed Myanmar's rapid economic stabilization, noting a 6.9% GDP growth rate and the new NLD government's success in halving the budget deficit while lowering inflation. Focusing on a 27-year median age workforce and 90% mobile penetration, the discussion highlighted labor-intensive manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism as primary drivers for the required $10–20 billion in infrastructure investment. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's personal oversight of the economy provided a signal of accountability, though panelists cautioned that bureaucratic execution capacity remains a critical challenge alongside necessary regulatory reforms.