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*|HTML:MMERGE4|* <<First Name>> *|HTML:MMERGE3|* <<Last Name>>  MCRB wishes all its newsletter readers a happy Myanmar New Year and a safe Thingyan celebration!     Read Burmese version here

Anti-Corruption Workshop   On 16 March MCRB, together with the ASEAN-CSR Network, co-hosted a workshop on corruption for local businesses, which included some informal electronic polling about where they experienced most demands for bribes in their personal and business lives.   Read more

Disclosure of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)   MCRB has published a survey which examines how many Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Initial Environmental Examinations (IEE) have been disclosed on the internet in line with the new EIA Procedures. The survey focusses on oil and gas companies in Myanmar who were awarded blocks after 2013. It finds that 11 out of 19 offshore blocks (58%) and 4 out of 15 onshore blocks (26%) have disclosed their assessments. The survey also analyses the challenges faced by companies in complying with the new requirement for IEE/EIA and disclosure, and makes recommendations for how these can be addressed.   Read more

Action Labour Rights Survey of Korean Garment Factories   MCRB has provided financial and capacity-building support to local civil society organisation Action Labor Rights to produce a report titles ‘Under Pressure’ on labour conditions in a number of garment factories which are either wholly Korean owned or joint-ventures with Korean companies. The survey, undertaken in mid-2015, compares conditions in factories to Myanmar legal requirements. It reveals significant non-compliance on the part of many factories, particularly concerning laws on working hours and overtime.   Read more

Multistakeholder workshop on tourism planned for Ngapali   MCRB and Hanns Seidel Foundation plan to co-host a multistakeholder workshop on responsible tourism in Ngapali in May. This meeting will be a follow up to the two workshops jointly hosted in 2015 on tourism and human rights, and on community involved tourism. These both highlighted an unmet desire for local community and business participation in determining the development of tourism destinations.   Read more

Myanmar Business Forum launches website   The Myanmar Business Forum, an IFC-supported platform for dialogue between the private sector and government aiming to improve the business environment by promoting regulatory reforms, has launched a new website in English and Burmese which includes a number of its papers with regulatory analysis and recommendations. MCRB has participated in MBFs several working groups including Natural Resources and Land, and provided inputs relating to environmental and social safeguards, and the EIA process.   Read more

© Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business, 15 Shan Yeiktha Street, Sanchaung, Yangon, Myanmar | Tel/Fax +95 1 510069 | info@myanmar-responsiblebusiness.org

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