Firms line up for Myanmar opportunity

As senior decision-makers from around the globe descended on Myanmar's capital of Naypyidaw for the World Economic Forum on East Asia recently, multinational companies were lining up to explore the huge commercial opportunities in the country.

At Standard Chartered, we're seeing strong, and growing, interest in Myanmar from clients across the globe and across all business sectors. With the European Union lifting the last of its non-military sanctions on Myanmar in April, European corporates, hungry for growth as demand at home remains weak, have shown the greatest interest in the country.

Multinationals are starting to cautiously put money to work in Myanmar. Many have already opened representative offices or branches in the country, recognizing that the pace of reform is now so rapid that you have to have people on the ground to seize the opportunities as they unfold.