Htein Lwin, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Electric Power, said during the press conference to mark the government’s first 100 days in power in Nay Pyi Taw that there is a need that Myanmar proceeds with planned hydropower projects.

Hydropower projects would be implemented on the Thanlwin (Salween) River, he said, urging people to support their implementation.

“Coal-fired projects were suspended as people didn’t accept those projects. We face difficulties on increased expenditure for generating electricity using natural gas. That’s why hydropower projects are needed because the cost of the projects is far lower. I urge the public to support the hydropower projects,” said Htein Lwin. “We will try to use few natural resources and have limited environmental impact.”

He said an extra 900 megawatts of electricity could be generated during this government’s term to help meet an estimated national demand of 5,000mw by 2020.

Present at the press conference were officials from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Electric Power, Energy and Border Affairs.

At the event, Kyaw Zeya, director-general of the Foreign Affairs Department, said that the Chinese would certainly lobby on the suspended Myitsone dam project during State Counsellor Aung SanSuu Kyi‘s visit to China.

“China will definitely discuss it as it is a main interest. We are making a series of discussions on the ways to seek the best possible solution. We will issue a statement after the government has discussed it with all stakeholders. We have prepared well for the discussion,” he added.

Kachin projects

In a related development, the President’s Office has formed a commission to report on hydropower projects to be developed on the Ayeyawady (Irrawaddy) River in Kachin State.

The 20-member commission is chaired by Khun Myat, Deputy Lower House Speaker, with minister of the President’s Office Kyaw Tint Swe serving as vice-chair.

The commission is seeking mutually acceptable ways for the state and foreign investors to fund the project based on the national interest.

The commission is due to check whether the projects follow international standards and technology; their impact on the social environment and ecosystem; the possible damage to the Ayeyawady; benefits to the state, people and power supply; the continuation of projects; impacts on foreign investments and seek mutually beneficial outcomes after the contracts have been reviewed.

The commission is to compile a report, considering peace, stability, sustainable development and the interests of people. The report must include feelings and views of residents and social organisations, the statement said.

The President’s Office is to take responsibility for the commission’s administration and coordinate security matters between ministries and the Kachin State government. The commission can question those responsible for the project, ask for documents and carry out inspections, appoint domestic and foreign experts to seek advice and form scrutiny groups.

The commission members are Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Dr Aung Thu, Minister for Transport and Communications Thant Zin Maung, Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Ohn Win, Minister for Electric Power and Energy Pe Zin Tun, Minister for Education Dr Myo Thein Gyi, Attorney-General Tun Tun Oo, Chief Minister of Kachin State Dr Khat Aung, the International Relations Committee’s MP Mi Kun Chan, secretary of the Bill Committee MP Dr Myat Nyana Soe, chair of the National Water Resources Committee retired deputy minister Ohn Myint, retired deputy minister Myo Myint, retired attorney-general of Kachin State Mayri Mi Nan, permanent secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry Tin Myint, patron of Myanmar Environmental Institute Maung Maung Aye, chair of Myanmar Dams Association retired director-general Win Kyaw and advisory member of the National Water Resources Committee Cho Cho.

Dr Win Thein, chair of the Civil Service Board, will be secretary with Mi Mi Khaing, director-general of the electric power planning department under the Ministry of Electric Power and Energy, serving as joint secretary.

The deadline for the report is November 11.

Supply to Yangon

In Yangon alone, it is estimated that extra 500 megawatts would be needed in the next summer. Chief engineer Thet Naing Oo of the thermal power department under the Ministry of Electric Power and Energy said the tender for the first 300MW would be open soon.

“Hydropower generators will produce the same amount as before. New Mitta hydropower projects will start this year. We are planning to produce 500mw more for the next summers,” said he said.

The ministry is planning to start a new Mitta project in September with 200mw set to be produced.

Yangon consumed about 1,200mw last year, said general manager Thant Zin of the Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation. The ministry is installing more transformers and electrical cables in Yangon Region.

It is estimated that the extra generation and supply would cost about Ks100 billion.

The ministry is installing new electrical cables in Tamwe, Hlaing, Dala and Hlaingtharya townships.

Ittirit Kinglake, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said the blasts in Phuket, Hua Hin and other major tourist destinations would definitely have a negative impact on tourism because they frightened tourists and caused worries about safety and security.

He said tourism was likely to experience a sharp drop for a short period, especially in Phuket, Hat Yai, Hua Hin, and other beach resorts south of Bangkok as tourists would go to other countries instead.

Last year, more than 12 million foreign tourists travelled to the Southern region and generated income of Bt300 billion. Each year, Phuket and Krabi receive more than 5 million each.

“Some tourists will avoid travelling into the region. This is the immediate impact. If the situation cannot be solved, it will hit tourism in the coming high season,” Ittirit said.

If so, the country may miss its tourism target of 30 million this year, he added.

Charoen Wangananont, |president of the Association |of Thai Travel Agents, said it |was too early to make any conclusions on the impact of |the blasts for this year’s high |season because tourists had |not yet cancelled their book-|ings.

“ATTA is confident that the country can achieve its tourism projection despite the explosions,” he said.

After the blasts, the Tourism Authority of Thailand asked its domestic offices to make sure injured tourists were cared for and to facilitate support services for all foreign and Thai visitors in their areas. The offices will provide assistance and coordinate with local authorities as needed.

“These incidents are currently under police investigation. And while it is not yet known who is behind the blasts, or if the attacks are linked, an investigation is in process,” TAT said in a statement.

All airports, as well as other modes of transport nationwide, are operating normally, but people are advised to prepare adequate travelling time to avoid getting caught in traffic because of large movements of people during this long weekend.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha instructed local authorities to step up security at key locations throughout Thailand as a preventive measure and to ensure safety and security for tourists and local residents.

Deputy director-general Rattana Theanvisitskool said yesterday that under the government’s policy to support companies to expand into foreign markets, the focus would be on franchisors as such entities already had clear a strategy and business pattern.

The agency will in fact support some 150 franchise businesses this year under the overall promotion plan, with around half of the franchisors expected to come up with clear plans for expansion overseas, starting in Asean countries, she said.

The five targeted countries for promotion during the latter half of the year are Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia and Malaysia.

In the first half, the department promoted 25 franchise companies to do business in the Philippines, 12 of which seem to have had a greater chance in breaking into the market through the joint-venture platform, she added.

The businesses taking the JV route in the Philippines are JD Pool, Pool Pro & Lab, Hong Kong Noodle, Fresh Me, Moly Care, N&B Pizza Crepe, Hokkaido Milk, Daddy Do, Teddy House, Auto Quiks, Tummour, and Bake a Wish.

According to the department, Thailand now has 1,523 franchise businesses, which created combined income worth Bt645.79 billion last year.

Franchise businesses accounted for 9 per cent of the total retail business value in the Kingdom last year, while the value of franchise business in the US accounted to 54 per cent of retail business in that country.

Meanwhile, under Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn’s policy to support value-chain creation, the department will match 100 cosmetics enterprises and cosmetic-ingredient manufacturers with a view to linking the domestic supply chain, so that Thai businesses in the sector can reduce the cost of raw-material imports, while local ingredient-makers will be able to increase their sales, the official announced.

The cosmetics industry is a priority business for the department in terms of promoting the value supply chain, as Thailand has high expertise in the sector from upstream to downstream, Rattana said.

The sector is capable of generating huge sales each year and creating a significant return for the country’s income, she added.

According to a Commerce Ministry report, Thai exports of cosmetics, perfumery and soaps were worth US$1.91 billion (Bt66.5 billion) last year, while shipments in the first half of this year totalled $899.69 million.

In another matter, the BDD reported yesterday that between July 2 – when the Secured Transactions Act was implemented – and August 8, some 50,215 small and medium-sized enterprises had applied for loans totalling Bt269 billion from the country’s banks, as they could now use a wide range of secured assets as guarantees.

Under the new law, instead of using a mortgage or having to pawn their assets as business security, SMEs are able to use their assets, raw materials, inventories, aircraft, freight, patents, copyrights and trademarks as guarantees for acquiring loans from financial institutions, or to secure their liabilities.

During the five-week period, most SMEs taking advantage of the new law used their bank-book records as security for loans, with the next most popular means of guarantee being inventory, machinery, vehicles and lists of debtors.

The index, entirely dedicated to the measurement of intellectual and physical property rights, covers 128 countries which represent 98 per cent of world gross domestic product and 93 per cent of world population. The 2015 index covered 129 countries.

In the 17 sub-categories, Thailand ranks the highest, 7th, in the “Registering Property” area, and the lowest, 108th, in the “Political Stability” area.

Finland remains in first place in the 2016 IPRI, followed by New Zealand, Luxemburg, Norway and Switzerland.

At the bottom is Venezuela followed by Myanmar, Bangladesh, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Moldova, Mauritania, Chad, Lebanon, Madagascar, Ukraine and Nicaragua.

“Property rights are the linchpin of a prosperous society. They say what is yours, what is not, and how to exchange with others in order to create value” said Lorenzo Montanari, executive director of the Property Rights Alliance which completed the ranking. “That is why they are human rights and essential to individual liberty. A weak property rights regime means shorter lives, less civic engagement, and the inability to participate in the global efforts to discover, invent, and share knowledge”.

After witnessing the signing of an agreement by the International Trade Promotion Department, Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and Kasetsart University to promote trading and marketing of agricultural equipment and machinery, Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said yesterday that since the government wants to boost value-added exports, agricultural machinery was one of targeted industries that it will keep on marketing.

The agricultural-machinery industry could help add value to exports, while almost 100 per cent of its parts are made locally.

The value of agricultural-machinery exports reached Bt30.17 billion last year and Bt15.81 billion in the first half of this year.

Key products are wheel ploughs, feed mills and grinders, tractors, water pumps and combine harvesters.

Demand was primarily from Asean countries for their rice and grain farming.

Over the past two years, emerging markets in Africa have also shown strong interest in Thai agricultural-machinery innovations. For instance, Thailand is negotiating to establish rice-milling plants in Nigeria. The Thai government, the FTI and Kasetsart could join in technology transfers and training for Nigerian farmers and millers.

Borpit Tangwongkit, an associate professor of agricultural machinery and mechatronics at Kasetsart’s Khamphaeng Saen campus in Nakhon Pathom, said the agreement for Thailand to help establish a mill in Nigeria was expected to be finalised soon.

Initial capital will run in the several hundred millions of baht, which the Nigerian government is keen to support, while Thai enterprises want to form joint ventures.

To promote the sale of agricultural machinery, the ministry urges local entrepreneurs to join the “Thailand Tractor and Agri-Machinery Show” to be held from December 2-11 at the Khamphaeng Saen campus.

More than 150 Thai and international exhibitors will showcase the latest agricultural technologies, ranging from tractors to farming machinery, to 50,000 trade visitors from Asean, Africa, India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Australia.

After the Asean Economic Ministers (AEM) meeting in Laos last week, Thai Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said Asean and partner countries including the United States, Japan and China had strengthened cooperation on many issues.

At a separate meeting on the sidelines of the AEM meet, officials from the US Trade Representative reported that the Asean Business Outlook Survey for 2017 showed that American investors had a positive outlook on this region’s economic growth and planned to focus on three key cities: Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok.

The US-Asean Business Council said it would open “Asean Connect Centres” in those three cities next month to help tighten cooperation between US and Southeast Asian enterprises as well as assist US businesses operating in this region.

The centres will also provide information about Asean for American investors.

During the meeting, the US and Asean also agreed to increase transparency in issuing policies and regulations for facilitating investment growth.

4th largest trading partner

According to the Commerce Ministry, the US is Asean’s fourth-largest trading partner.

Bilateral trade was worth US$212.8 billion last year. The US is Asean’s biggest foreign investor, with |accumulated initial capital investment worth $273.4 billion.

In addition, during the AEM meeting, Asean and Japan agreed on service and investment liberalisation under the Asean-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

The two sides agreed on liberation of the finance and telecommunications sectors and labour movement, while also agreeing on investment protection and investment-facilitation issues.

Asean and Japan also approved a 10-year economic cooperation plan, which will be implemented from 2016 to 2025. They will cooperate on promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, intellectual-property rights, and other standards.

Asean also held bilateral talks with other partner economies, including mainland China, Hong Kong and India, on cooperation on many issues, such as revisions of trade-in-goods measures, rules of origin, customs procedures, and other trade issues.