Burmese Language
Burma draws on Singapore’s economic skill
Burma President Thein Sein has arrived in Singapore hoping to tap the financial centre’s expertise as the country emerges from political and economic isolation, analysts said.
Thein Sein arrived Sunday for a four-day state visit accompanied by a top-level delegation which included business leaders and top ministers in charge of economic portfolios.
On Monday Thein Sein met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding under which Singapore will provide training for reforms in the legal, banking and financial sectors.
The pact also calls on Singapore to share its best practices in trade, tourism and urban planning.
With the West looking at easing sanctions and businesses closely watching sweeping democratic reforms in the formerly military-run country, the resource-rich Southeast Asian state needs to prepare for an anticipated increase in investments and tourism, analysts said.
“If all goes well, Burma certainly looks forward to being welcomed from the political wilderness,” said Song Seng Wun a regional economist with Malaysian bank CIMB, using Burma’s former name.
“It looks like the Burmese are in a hurry to catch up in the shortest possible time,” he told AFP.
Burma will likely tap Singapore’s expertise in financial services, Song said.
“After so many years of isolation, their capacity to handle the expected inflow of investments and set up the much-needed regulatory frameworks have to be brought up to scratch as quickly as possible.”
A Southeast Asian diplomat also told AFP that Burma needs to train accountants, bankers and other people with technical skills as well as in corporate governance.
“Singapore is the logical place where it can seek help,” said the diplomat, who asked not to be named.
Singapore, a regional financial centre and a favourite hub for global companies, is often seen as a model by its neighbours.
After nearly five decades of outright army rule in Burma, a nominally civilian government took power last year and has since surprised outside observers with its apparent scope and pace of reforms.
Thein Sein, a former prime minister and an ex-general who was a member of the junta, was appointed president in February last year after the November 2010 elections.
Tags: burma, economy, myanmar, singapore, thein sein
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Please learn good things, good practices, good principles, anti corrupt practices, fast and efficient work, cleanliness, good primary health care, good public housing, good administrative works, etc.
But do not learn bad things like :
having maids to do all your work, no respect to elders and family, do not understand other people feelings due to your behaviour, weak in geography, history, humanity and very most saying cheap cheap cheap to others.
Singapore government has been supporting the generals for many years.In fact,Singapore government was the first world government to rush arms shipment to Burma after the 1988 student troubles.
It is the first government to approach for the Generals,but on the other hand,I do hope that the Singapore government would play its part to ensure that this so called reform is for real and not for show.
I din think he is waiting for meet someone. He might be some where or in the hotel . Sg government is Smatter than you think. They respect times and people. In the ASEAN , Singapore is top . If they not smart , they cannot do anythings in the small island without any natural resource . Myanmar in Singapore are foreigner. Foreigner should not compare with Singaporean . If Singaporean no good , how a bout the other nation? If this photo is truth, just put in the newspaper or TV news . If Singapore fault , surely the will feedback or apologize . Please don think anyhow with Myanmar ordinary mind. Thank.
blind following the one-eyed. how very sad. instead of getting back in burma’s best brains now thein Sein, ignorant, dabbles in what he does not understand. very sad.
why not approach,eh, top financial analyst in exile. ask germany for help. see what we mean.
really really sad. ignorant thein sein and chee suu Kyi.
Dvb News,please kindly ensure that you have the right information. There should be Myanmar Ministers beside President Thein Sein if he is sitting in the waiting room. This photo is no common sense.
The picture of “President” Thein Sein waiting meekly like a little delivery boy in front of the Singaporean Prime Minister’s office says it all!
Well many rich Burmese like to “suck up” to the Singaporean Chinese. Anything else new in Burma?
Well,in front of the generals,the Singapore government gave fake respect.
What they do they think?one should remember the former prime minister,and father of present prime minister Mr Lee KY called the generals “BRAIN DEAD” as reported by Wikileaks.
Singapore is one of the states where corruption is at the lowest
level, as compared with other Third World countries. Of course,
Myanmar will do well to take the good, strong points in the
Administration System of the Singapore government for adoption here in
its effort to modernize the economy and wipe out poverty among its
teeming millions of people. Changes are taking place at the higher
levels of the Government hierarchy, but at the lower levels old
corruption practices continue unabated, as those who look can see. Of
course, it may take time to change the old bad habits of the regional
administration people as well as the public workers in various Govt.
departments. The public servants themselves never take it into their
heads that they are paid out of the tax payers’ moneys through the
Govt. budget and that their main duty is to serve the people who have
appointed them to their posts in the true sense of the word. Old
habits die hard, as the saying goes. This is true of certain
Departments at the central level, especially those that have to make
dealings with the public regarding corporate matters. Much more still
needs to be done to bring the whole public administration into a state
of clean governance, as promised by the President. Taxation is another
matter that needs the immediate attention of the authorities at the
highest level for drastic reforms, not only in the way taxes,
especially corporate taxes, are levied, but in the mentality of tax
people who are not public-minded and who are dishonest and bent on
squeezing corporate bodies dry for their own benefit. Thus, the
Government is losing lots of tax money yearly through the misconduct
of the personnel of the Internal Revenue Department. For their part,
commercial enterprises will do as best they can to evade taxation by
falsifying their annual accounts in cahoots with the auditors and the
tax people themselves. In my opinion, only heavy punishments will
serve as a strong…
“Live Cloud’s comments on the Myanmar President’s Visit to Singapore”
Singapore is one of the states where corruption is at the lowest level, as compared with other Third World countries. Of course, Myanmar will do well to take the good, strong points in the Administration System of the Singapore government for adoption here in its effort to modernize the economy and wipe out poverty among its teeming millions of people. Changes are taking place at the higher levels of the Government hierarchy, but at the lower levels old corruption practices continue unabated, as those who look can see. Of
course, it may take time to change the old bad habits of the regional administration people as well as the public workers in various Govt. departments. The public servants themselves never take it into their heads that they are paid out of the tax payers’ moneys through the Govt. budget and that their main duty is to serve the people who have appointed them to their posts in the true sense of the word. Old habits die hard, as the saying goes. This is true of certain Departments at the central level, especially those that have to make
dealings with the public regarding corporate matters. Much more still needs to be done to bring the whole public administration into a state of clean governance, as promised by the President. Taxation is another matter that needs the immediate attention of the authorities at the highest level for drastic reforms, not only in the way taxes, especially corporate taxes, are levied, but in the mentality of tax
people who are not public-minded and who are dishonest and bent on squeezing corporate bodies dry for their own benefit. Thus, the Government is losing lots of tax money yearly through the misconduct of the personnel of the Internal Revenue Department. For their part, commercial enterprises will do as best they can to evade taxation by falsifying their annual accounts in cahoots with the auditors and the
tax people themselves. In my…
“Live Cloud’s comments on the Myanmar President’s Visit to Singapore” (continued…)
In my opinion, only heavy punishments will serve as a strong deterrent to tax evasion made through such illegal means.
Just look at what is happening in the telecoms sector. Those who wish
to bring cheap K5000 worth GSM phones within the reach of all people, rich or poor alike, in the country are blocked by the vested interests in the Telecoms Enterprise. Are they not ashamed of themselves for robbing the people by charging K2/3 lakhs per SIM card that is given for free in neighboring countries. What makes me surprised is that the high-ups in the Govt. don’t use their power to force the Telecoms Enterprise to yield to the needs of the times. Don’t they see even
farmers and workers in Asian countries are using GSM phones in their daily life? Such being the case, it may be assumed that those high-ups themselves are on the take in this regard.
It is high time the Govt. took necessary measures to weed out such
dead wood, represented by bad public servants to bring the country into the ranks of the advanced countries of the world. Let us move forward in line with the spirits of the times and catch up with other advanced countries. The challenges are there and we must be prepared to meet them with our might and main. Otherwise we shall lag behind and the gap in economic development between other countries and us will widen beyond our ability to bridge even in the long-term. Do you want to see it happen? Of course, not, as far as I am concerned.