Bangladesh plastic sector yet to be global player despite potentials

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Bangladesh has the potential to become a large global player in plastic industry, although it has not yet emerged as a global player in the segment.

The country, at present, has a share of 0.01 percent of the global plastic market that measures up to $599 billion, a recent report of the Center of Policy Dialogue (CPD) shows suggesting that the country can expand its share globally but the reasons for failing to take benefit from advantageous market conditions are the supply constraints and unskilled workforce in the sector.

An ESCAP report projected that Bangladesh’s market size would reach $2 billion in 2015 and $4 billion in 2020 if the country could improve its infrastructure, enhance skills development, and address waste management issues.

The plastic industry in Bangladesh began on a small scale in the 1960s where handmade mould was used to make plastic toys, photo frames, and plastic spare parts.

In the following decade, plastic jugs and plates were added to the product list by virtue of introducing automatic manufacturing machines.

However, it was in the 1980s when the industrial growth of Bangladesh’s plastic sector began with the establishment of injection grade and film grade plastic industries which were eventually used to make products such as plastic bags, plastic apparel hangers, and bottle crates. It was during this time where the plastic sector started contributing significantly to the national economy and growing at a rapid pace.

As a result of the increased industrialised production, there are 3,000 plastic manufacturing units in the country, mostly SME, that employ around 1-2 million people.

Around 65 percent of these factories are located in Dhaka, 20 percent in Chittagong, and 10 percent at Narayanganj. The remaining 5 percent are in Khulna, Comilla, Bogra, and Rajshahi districts.
Out of the available manufacturing units, 65 percent belong to small enterprises while 33 percent belong to medium ones.
The remaining 2 percent consists of the largest plastic manufacturing companies that sell their products both locally and abroad. Manufactured products include PVC pipes, shopping bags, injection molding products, PET/PE bottles, rubber gloves, toys, electronic switches, computer and electronic accessories, and various other household items.

The popularity of plastic has been growing each year with plastic product consumption amounting to 750,000 tonnes in 2013, almost 5 kg per capita, showing an increase from the 2 kg per capita in 2007.

The domestic market size for plastic production was estimated to be worth approximately $890 million in 2012. The plastic sector also contributed to around 1.2 percent of the country’s GDP, up from a mere 0.4 percent in 2004. While the GDP share might not be as robust as the apparel and leather industries, the ESCAP has projected a 10 percent annual growth in plastic production in Bangladesh.

According to the Bangladesh Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA), Bangladesh imports over 150,000 tonnes of plastic raw materials annually, and this figure has experienced a consistent annual increase.
Raw materials import has significantly increased due to growing domestic demand. Furthermore, in order to make plastic, hydrocarbon raw materials are required to be extracted from crude oils and natural gas.

While Bangladesh has good reserves of natural gas and are exploring its use for manufacturing plastic, it cannot sustain current levels of production due to lack of modern technologies and limited capital resources compared to developed nations. The machinery used to produce plastic too had to be imported from countries such as Thailand or India.

Exports are moderately smaller to imports because their still-developing technologies are not at a world standard yet and thereby are unable to achieve comparatively high quality finished goods as other developed nations.
BPGMEA reports that export of plastic products amounts to $340 million in 2013. From this figure, $85 million is from direct exports while the rest of $255 million is from indirect (deemed) exports. Indirect exports refer mainly to plastic products as accessories to apparel. Bangladesh’s most exported destinations are China, India, USA, UK, and UAE, etc.

Major challenges in the Bangladesh’s plastic industry are power shortage, skill lacking, waste management and environmental concerns. Even with all the challenges that the plastic industry faces, there remains tremendous level of benefits for Bangladesh to be reaped. Revamping infrastructure issues with foreign assistance has stated and recycling rates continue to rise leading to improved environmental welfare and increased profits from use of more recycled material.

With Bangladesh’s plastic consumption at 5 kg per capita and world consumption at 30 kg per capita, there is substantial room for domestic growth. The availability of low cost labor provides further return for increased export earnings.

The BPGMEA leaders say, it would be possible to earn $1 billion from exporting plastic and plastic products. With the right government incentive and compliance, the sector would be able to receive investment in expensive technologies and machineries in plastic manufacturing.
That will allow Bangladesh to take advantage of low cost plastic productions, similar to India and China, allowing the country to grab a larger stake in the global plastic demand.

Source:https://www.bangla-expo.com/ipf/newsDetail.asp?serno=589

Australia wants more trade, investment collaboration with Bangladesh

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Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Julia Niblett on Sunday said reliable energy supply is crucial to attract both domestic and foreign investment and enable higher economic growth needed for providing employment with higher income.

“Australian companies have significant expertise in mining and energy; and well-placed to further help Bangladesh develop its mining and energy sectors,” she said.

The High Commissioner welcomed the government of Bangladesh’s initiatives to address energy needs in Bangladesh. “This is an ambitious and impressive essential focus of policy to support Bangladesh’s economic growth.”

High Commissioner Niblett was addressing a discussion on ‘Bilateral Business and Trade Opportunities Between Australia and Bangladesh’ organized by the Australia Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ABCCI) in a city hotel.

Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi spoke as the chief guest while Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Kazi M Aminul Islam and President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin spoke as special guests with ABCCI President Obaidur Rahman in the chair.

ABCCI Vice President M Khan made a presentation on Bangladesh-Australia trade and investment opportunities.

High Commissioner Niblett said oil, gas and coal extraction, power generation, transport, trade and infrastructure and skill development – there are lots of areas for collaboration between the two countries.

“We’ll continue to work energetically and closely with all of you to take Bangladesh-Australia trade and investment relations forward,” said the High Commissioner.

Niblett said Australia and Bangladesh have enjoyed a longstanding and mutually beneficial trade relationship that has grown significantly in the last five years.

The bilateral trade grew to over AUD 2.3 billion dollars in 2017, reflecting Bangladesh’s economic growth and the complementary strengths of two economies.

“Despite the trade surplus in Australia’s favour, bilateral trade is relatively balanced, and as such benefits both our countries,” she said.

The High Commissioner laid emphasis on diversification of economic relations into other fields that can be crucial for Bangladesh’s further progress. “There’re lots of scopes for collaboration.”

Dr Rizvi invited the Australian investors to come and invest in Bangladesh taking the advantage of “stable political system” availability of workers and fast growing market inside Bangladesh and re-export to other countries. “So the investors who will come here you can come and there will not be any change.”

He said Bangladesh has a stable society with political stability and growing maturity of democratic institutions. “We’ll continue to have the stable society… democratic continuity will continue. There is no doubt about it.”

Kazi Aminul of BIDA said Australia is a tested friend of Bangladesh and the two countries can achieve a lot together.

He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina they are working to further improve investment and business climate in the country. “We can take the relations to historically higher level.”

FBCCI President Mohiuddin said the government has ensured the culture of peace in the country and hoped that Australian investors will invest more in Bangladesh.

“We don’t see any more destructive politics. We always love peace that exists. We hope more collaboration,” he added.

Business leaders from the FBCCI, other associations and members of other bilateral Chambers were also present.

Established in 2004, the ABCCI provides a range of services to its members based in both Australia and Bangladesh, and it has been a leading voice of businesses in both countries.UNB.

Source:http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/166623

China to develop Bangladesh industrial zone as part of South Asia push

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China is developing a 750-acre industrial park in Bangladesh which will largely be used by Chinese manufacturing firms, a Chinese official said on Wednesday, part of its push to expand links with South Asia and beyond.

State-run China Harbour Engineering Company will hold a 70 percent share in a joint venture being formed for the park with the Bangladesh Special Economic Zone Authority (BSEZA), Li Guangjun, the economic and commercial counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Dhaka, said.

“This is for the first time China has received such a facility from the Bangladesh government where Chinese investors will be able to set up industries, mainly manufacturing firms,” Li told Reuters.

China is investing billions of dollars in building ports, power stations and roads in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan as part of its Belt and Road Initiative to build trade and transport corridors across Asia and beyond.

The industrial park will be in Bangladesh’s main port city of Chittagong and will take five years to become fully operational.

Li said Chinese investment in Bangladesh would soon reach $10 billion, mainly focused on power, road and infrastructure projects.

Most financing for Chinese investment in Bangladesh comes through soft Chinese loans, with interest rates of 2 percent and repayment periods of 20 years.

In Sri Lanka, China has faced criticism for tough loan conditions which critics say has pushed the island nation into debt and forced it to hand over majority control of Hambantota port to China in an equity for debt swap.

Li said the land acquisition process needed to be faster in Bangladesh for projects to reach completion.

Source:https://www.thedailystar.net/business/china-develop-bangladesh-industrial-zone-part-south-asia-push-1558339

Private sector getting more loans for relaxed monetary policy

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The new monetary policy has opened up opportunities for the private sector to take large amount of loans, said speakers yesterday.

Investors have already started to reap the benefit of the relaxed monetary policy, they said at a workshop at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) in Dhaka.

The monetary policy for July-December this year was unveiled on July 31.

The monetary policy was announced keeping the higher GDP growth in consideration, said Faisal Ahmed, chief economist of the Bangladesh Bank, while presenting the keynote paper.

As a result, the private sector will get adequate financing which will help the government achieve the expected growth, he added.

The private sector credit ceiling was fixed at 16.8 percent, which, the chief economist said, is quite enough to achieve more than 7 percent growth.

The private sector credit growth slowed down in recent months amid liquidity crisis in the market.

The growth rate dropped to an 18-month low of 15.87 percent in July, according to central bank data. The growth was 1 percentage point lower than the central bank’s target of 16.8 percent for the first half of the current fiscal year. Toufic Ahmad Choudhury, director-general of BIBM, also spoke.

Source:https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/private-sector-getting-more-loans-relaxed-monetary-policy-1630438

As Bhutan’s economy grows, so does its waste problem

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Despite its tiny population, Bhutan’s economic growth has led to increasing urbanisation and problems associated with biodegradable waste, which threatens the beauty of one of the most pristine environments in the world.

Bhutan’s rapid economic development over the last few decades has been striking. According to World Bank data the GDP of the country grew from USD 135 million in 1980 to USD 2.2 billion in 2016, or sixteen times. Based on its indicators, Bhutan has been recommended for graduation from Least Developed Country status by the UN.

While this is good news for the country, it is also accompanied by some negative indicators.

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The National Environment Commission’s (NEC) report “Bhutan State of Environment, 2016” has pointed out that, with rapid socio-economic development, increasing population and urbanisation, the country is seeing an increase in the amount of solid waste generated. More problematically the composition of that waste is shifting from biodegradable to non-biodegradable waste.

Nedup Tshering, a retired civil servant and environmentalist who started a civil society organisation based in Thimphu, Clean Bhutan, said compared to other countries, waste in Bhutan is not a huge problem. However, it is growing rapidly, and within since 2014, when Tshering started his initiative, the waste produced by individual household has doubled from 250 grams a day per person to almost half a kilogramme per person now.

Disposable diapers are becoming a growing concern across the country as more people have started to use them and they do not degrade well even in landfills, stated the NEC report. Another issue of concern is that municipal solid waste also contains hazardous and electronic waste.

Some examples of hazardous household waste are batteries, household cleaning products, cosmetics, automobile maintenance products and electronics such as phone, television sets, bulbs, and tube-lights.

With development and modernisation, there is growing trend of people discarding electronics like phones, laptops and TVs for newer models, which could lead to growing amount of e-waste, said the NEC officials.

In 2017, the Global Waterkeeper Alliance and Clean Bhutan launched a water quality monitoring programme and found that key rivers in Bhutan contained significant levels of E.Coli bacteria.

One of the major problems with the problem specifically to Bhutan’s capital is that the sewer system is connected directly into the river. Furthermore the leachate (the black water) from the wasteland fields in Memelakha also falls down into the Olarongchu river that connects to it. “If we don’t control this today in a decade or so, we will find Olarongchu quite toxic,” said Tshering.

The National Environment Commission said that their surveys and monitoring indicate that Bhutan’s water resources are healthy at the macro level, but there is an increasing concern that population growth, burial customs, and fast urbanisations are outpacing the installation of sewerage treatment and solid waste collection. This is threatening the water quality in downstream areas

Tshering explained that part of what is needed is a change in customs. People throwing waste into rivers is not a new thing, but as Bhutan has grown more prosperous and the urban areas have enlarged, the type and amount of waste have changed. There is far more plastic and other non-biodegradable waste. People have started changing their habits, with more segregation of waste, but the facilities to manage the waste is still catching up.

So far Clean Bhutan has conducted 115 cleaning campaigns in towns and villages around 16 districts involving 4,431 volunteers, and 20 clean-up programs along the four rivers of Thimphu-chu, Paro-chu, Punakha-chu (Po-chu/Mochu) and Chubachu stream in Thimphu. (“Chu” means water in Dzongkha, and many rivers are named after a prominent place with the chu suffix added.) It has also conducted 44 such clean-up campaigns along trail and trek routes.

Big city problems
But the problem is growing ever larger as the municipal services struggle to catch up. Tshering said that until a few years ago the trash was mostly found in the towns, but now it is also found in the jungle and rivers. The periphery of Thimphu is full of solid waste, which he attributes to the lack of facilities provided to people.

The NEC envisaged that by 2020, half of the Bhutanese population will live in urban areas. The two urban centres of Thimphu and Phuentsholing exhibit a complexity of environmental and social issues including the problem of municipal wastes. This growth is enormous, considering that Thimphu was a small hamlet in the 1960s before it was declared the capital of the country. It is now the most populous city in the country, with Phuentsholing, a border town in the south, close behind

“At this rate, the issue of solid waste management and associated environmental and social problems will be more pronounced in the absence of a proper solid waste management system,” said the NEC report.

According to Thimphu City Cooperation, less than 15 per cent of total households in the city are connected to the sewer system and rest rely on individual septic tanks. Between June 2010 to December 2012, 2,410 trips of vacuum tanker was used to empty 7,240 cubic metres of sewage. Domestic sewage, uncontrolled seepage, or overflows from septic tanks are some of the main sources of water pollution.

Additionally, in places like Thimphu and Phuentsholing where there are large concentrations of automobile workshops, the discharge of waste oil and other effluents is a significant source of water pollution.

Yeshey Wangdi, Chief Environment Officer with Thimphu thromde (municipal authority) said that the solid waste in Thimphu is growing along with the growth of the population of the city. As per the 2005 census, Thimphu’s population was 95,000, which he said is expected to have increased to more than 150,000. “Waste generation is directly dependent on population,” Wangdi said.

Since 2014 the municipal authority has outsourced the collection and disposal of waste to two private companies for. The two companies have to collect waste three times a week from every household. However, the thromde has been receiving many complaints from public that the waste collection is not happening on time. This he attributed to the breakdown of waste collection trucks or mismatch of collection timing with officer goers.

Another challenge is that unlike other countries every building has both commercial and residential functions. The collection services struggle to figure out when to send people where, whether during office hours, or not.

He said despite various problems, the department is committed to convert the waste problem into an opportunity. “Our present motto is reducing, reuse and recycle,” he said. Wangdi said the composition of the waste was 50 per cent organic, 17 per cent paper, and 12 per cent plastic. Therefore, the focus thromde’s focus is to “make trash into cash.”

Rules and regulations
Environmental officials also pointed that the problem is not just with the waste, but failure to implement the rules. A few years ago Thimphu thromde passed a rule which requires people to pay a fine if caught throwing waste in places other than disposal areas. In practice this rule seems totally nonexistent.

Yeshey Wangdi said that the rule is being implemented and that there were several cases reported to the city. In the first instance the thromde asks people to pay the fine, if they do not, the case is forwarded to court. However, no case has so far been reported to court.

Environmentalists said that there are at least nine Acts that are directly or partially related to solid waste management. However, implementing and collaborating agencies and stakeholders were faced with resource challenges. As Bhutan continues on its growth story, these gaps will also continue to grow, creating a bigger and bigger challenge to clean up in a country which had been, until recently, a pristine environment.

Source:https://www.eco-business.com/news/as-bhutans-economy-grows-so-does-its-waste-problem/

WB loan to Bhutan to improve growth equality

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The Royal Government of Bhutan and the World Bank have signed a $24 million credit that will help promote fiscal discipline, increase access to finance for enterprises, and improve the climate for business entry and investment in Bhutan.

Bhutan has made impressive progress in poverty reduction and economic growth over the past decade but high levels of investment in the hydropower sector have increased pressures on the country’s fiscal balance and external accounts.

“Together with other programs, this policy credit is effectively supporting the Royal Government’s reform momentum,” said Yoichiro Ishihara, the World Bank’s Resident Representative for Bhutan. “With this policy credit, Bhutan will be better equipped to enact policies to foster private sector development and create more employment opportunities, especially for its youth.”

The Second Fiscal Sustainability and Investment Climate Development Policy Credit (DPC2) was signed by Namgay Dorji, the Royal Government of Bhutan’s Finance Minister, on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan, and Yoichiro Ishihara, Resident Representative for Bhutan, on behalf of the World Bank.

This credit is the second of two World Bank-supported initiatives to support Bhutan’s Eleventh Five-Year Plan (11th FYP) (2013–2018) goals of promoting green socio-economic development and achieving self-reliance. DPC2 was approved by the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank on December 21, 2016.

“The Royal Government of Bhutan has used the policy credit to support institutional strengthening measures in some key areas, building on the momentum and lessons learnt from the past budget support operations to accelerate development in Bhutan,” said Namgay Dorji, the Royal Government of Bhutan’s Finance Minister. “Improving fiscal sustainability, access to finance and investment climate are critical to achieve the goals of the 11th Five Year Plan.”

The development policy series will be funded by credit from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s grant and low-interest credit arm. The credit has a maturity of 25 years, including a 5-year grace period.

Source :http://www.bhutannewsnetwork.com/2017/03/wb-loan-to-bhutan-to-improve-growth-equality/

Japan to continue funding Bhutan’s development

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The government of Japan has agreed to continue its support for Bhutan’s socio economic development, during the 12th annual consultation on economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Bhutanese delegation at the consultation presented 10 projects for consideration under technical cooperation and four grant aid projects in the field of health, agriculture and infrastructure restoration.

According to the Foreign Ministry of Bhutan, since its inception in 2006, the annual consultation continues to serve as an avenue for the two countries to review and exchange views on ongoing and future bilateral cooperation programs.

The two Buddhist nations have had exchanges of royal visits to strengthen the bilateral relations. Japanese contributed USD 73.53M during the 11th Plan.

Japan’s assistance to Bhutan is focused in the sectors of agriculture and rural economy, infrastructure development, social development and strengthening good governance.

Diplomatic relation between Japan and Bhutan was established in March 1986.

Source:http://www.bhutannewsnetwork.com/2017/08/japan-to-continue-funding-bhutans-development/

Druk Air resume flights to Gelephu

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The wait for people in Gelephu to be connected by air is finally over with Druk Air resuming its flights to the town this week.

The first flight on November 11 had six passengers on board.

The airline now operates three times a week- Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The company had tested one weekly flight two years ago but discontinued citing not profitable.

The airline agreed to resume the domestic operations following the government’s decision to provide the company with a subsidy of Nu 0.30 million per domestic flight.

During the promotional period, a one-way flight to this southern town from Paro will cost Nu 3,570. Round trip for the public will cost Nu 6,250. Fare cost for flights from Bumthang to Gelephu will be Nu 3,750 (one-way) and Nu 6,250 for round trip.

Source:http://www.bhutannewsnetwork.com/2017/11/druk-air-resume-flights-to-gelephu/

Bhutan: rising holiday destination for Australians

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While Bali is still popular, Australians are gradually shifting their holiday destinations to Asia, including Bhutan gradually.

According to a Skyscanner survey, from 2016 to 2017, 12 of Australia’s top 20 international travel destinations were in Asia.

Bali still topped the list (more than a million Australians arrive in Indonesia each year, a very significant proportion in Bali) but Vietnam is rising in the rankings. Flight bookings to Ho Chi Minh City jumped 23 per cent making it the new Asian hotspot.

Singapore continues to entice Aussies – there was a 17 per cent increase in flight bookings ­– and a 16 per cent increase in flight bookings to Tokyo, which jumped to number seven on the top 20 list. Bhutan has not come to the top 20 list but the number is persistently increasing.

Bhutan government does not publish tourist arrival data based on the country of origin.

Source:http://www.bhutannewsnetwork.com/2018/01/bhutan-rising-holiday-destination-for-australians/

Air Mandalay shuts down amid overcapacity

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It is increasingly challenging to operate in Myanmar’s aviation sector.”

The fourth domestic airline has wind up as aviation businesses struggle to turn a profit in an industry overcrowded with competitors, amid high fuel price, lacklustre demand and lack of government support.

Air Mandalay, which had been in service for 24 years, has stopped all flight schedules and charter services in order to restructure the whole business, starting from September 4, the airline’s spokesperson Daw May Thandar Win told The Myanmar Times yesterday. Air Mandalay is the fourth domestic airline to be suspended after Air Bagan, Apex airline and FMI Air, while six domestic businesses remain.

Daw May Thandar Win did not name a date for resuming the operation. “We intended to reform our airlines, similar to FMI Air, so it is difficult to give an exact date [to resume],” she said, adding that resumption is subject to market conditions.

The company stated in a press release that it “has been extremely difficult” to operate in the country and the situation has worsened since 2011, when “a number of new airline licenses were approved to operate in the country resulting in too many domestic carriers, oversupply of seats and intense competition, with airlines suffering heavy losses.”

U Thein Sein’s administration since 2011 allowed a maximum of 10 airline operators. However, the level of competition in a small market has made business extremely difficult. “The main three challenges we faced in the market are overcapacity due to so many domestic airlines in the country, expensive operational costs and intense competition resulting in heavy losses for the airlines,” Daw May Thandar Win explained.

Other challenges Air Mandalay faced in 2014-15 were being unable to operate for more than one year due to the delay in issuance of import permit for its two (2) Embraer ERJ145 jet aircraft and a 9-month delay in 2017-18, which was due to waiting for approval to import and register aircraft for public air transport services. Air Mandalay Limited is a foreign private joint venture airline with the government formed under the Special Company Act 1950. The company was incorporated on October 6, 1994. Before it shut down, Air Mandalay’s routes covered Yangon, Myitkyina in Kachin, Sittwe in Rakhine and Tachileik in Shan.

Myanmar authorities continue to block any attempts to run domestic flights in order to protect the local players, having rejected two joint venture proposals. This includes Japan’s largest airline ANA Holdings’ Asian Blue JV with Golden Sky World, owned by local conglomerate Shwe Than Lwin, and AirAsia’s JV with FMI Air. FMI Air shut down on July 20, after more than five years in operation.

However, domestic players are still struggling because of the fuel import cartel and the staggering number of airlines given the small market size.

Fewer choices

While consolidation is inevitable in the country’s aviation business due to the disproportionate number of players, closure of airlines should not mean impeding connectivity, Pietro Borsano, lecturer at Mandalay International University, warned.

“Consolidation should not mean giving fewer choices to consumers in terms of flight schedules, destinations and pricing. This is particularly important for Myanmar, because – unlike countries with a well-developed rail system – travelling by train to Mandalay or other regions is not an option for most tourists and investors,” he explained.

Connectivity is vital to trade, tourism and inward investments for Myanmar, the academic added. The Myanmar government should incentivise airlines to expand their routes to otherwise commercially unsustainable destinations in order to boost tourism and businesses, but the ultimate goal should be for private players to flourish on their own.

Mr Borsano suggested that, for example, Bangkok Airways now has more direct flights to Mandalay than before, and this has drawn a considerable number of Thai and regional investors to the city.

On top of the high fuel price and lack of profitability for the sector, overcharging poses another problem. Flights within the country, which charge foreigners more, end up more costly than regional flights. This has severely hampered the market demand.

Domestic airlines are not the only ones with lacklustre performance.

Despite rapid growth in passenger traffic over the last six years, Myanmar has fallen short of expectations, according to a study from aviation industry consultancy CAPA-Centre for Aviation seen by The Myanmar Times, released in late August. This has affected the expanding international routes in the country.

“Myanmar at one point projected that it would attract 7.5 million visitors by 2020. Given the recent growth rates, Myanmar will not even reach 2 million visitors in 2020,” the report observed.

All but one of the foreign airlines serving Myanmar operate from Yangon. China’s Donghai Airlines is the sole exception, having started services from Shenzhen to Mandalay in July. Mandalay is being served by seven international airlines, while Nay Pyi Taw is served only by Bangkok Airways and China Eastern.

Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/extremely-difficult-air-mandalay-shuts-down-amid-overcapacity.html