Cambodia’s government has granted permission for a new special economic zone (SEZ) and coal-fired power plant within the lush Botum Sakor National Park in coastal Koh Kong province. The SEZ would create another loosely regulated industrial area within a biodiverse primary forest.

Late last year, Koh Kong officials announced a pending deal for the SEZ of over 100 square kilometres with one of Cambodia’s biggest conglomerates, Royal Group.

The group had earlier announced its plans for the 700 MW coal power plant in the national park, in collaboration with Sinosteel, promising to sell 80% of its energy to the state electricity utility. Chinese corporations have been connected to several of Cambodia’s against-the-grain efforts to embrace coal power.

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With its advantages fully recognised, the southern “emerald island” of Phú Quốc off of Kiên Giang Province is set to live up to its title of a special administrative-economic zone.

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Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Myanmar should encourage policy experimentation and focus on tech spillovers, an economist told The Myanmar Times. By early June, 95 percent of the land plots in Thilawa SEZ zone A had been sold and the building of manufacturing plants is ongoing, while zone B is already under construction. At the same time, Dawei SEZ has been further delayed, whereas a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Kyaukphyu SEZ is expected to take place very soon.

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The initial project of Dawei SEZ has been delayed due to the required approval for environmental and social impact assessment reports and the signing of land lease contract, deputy minister for the Ministry of Commerce U Aung Htoo said. “As the pre-requite conditions by both sides haven’t been fulfilled, the agreement on the project has been extended and it has been extended until the end of December this year,” U Aung Htoo said at the Pyithu Hluttaw session on August 28.” Remaining conditions to be fulfilled are the approval for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or Social Impact Assessment (SIA) reports and the signing of a land lease, he continued.

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An MOU between China and Myanmar relating to a national-level framework for the Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is likely to be signed by August, a spokesperson of Kyauk Phyu SEZ Management Committee told The Myanmar Times during an exclusive interview on August 4.

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The government has given the green light for a Chinese company to conduct a feasibility study on developing the Khonphapheng Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Champassak province. The Chinese company had informed authorities that it wants to invest US$10 billion to develop the SEZ, the Deputy Governor of Champassak, Mr Buasone Vongsongkhone, told Vientiane Times on Monday.

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Environmental protection must be considered the decisive factor in future operations of the Hưng Nghiệp Formosa Hà Tĩnh Iron and Steel Co (FHS), Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said yesterday.

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An inadequate legal framework, poor implementation process, absence of accountabilities and the lack of transparency lead to violations of human rights and environmental disruption in Myanmar’s Special Economic Zones, speakers at the Myanmar Special Economic Zones Forum highlighted.

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The government cabinet has been exploring ways to better facilitate and promote investment in Special Economic Zones, after many zones have been set up in the provinces and in Vientiane. The cabinet on September 26 convened an extraordinary meeting and discussed a draft of the Law on Special Economic Zones, which outlines incentives to attract investment in these zones. The meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Bounthong Chitmany, asked the law drafting committee to revise the draft in line with the recommendations of cabinet members. The draft law will be submitted for debate and approval at the next Ordinary Session of the National Assembly, scheduled to take place late next month. The meeting heard a report on the progress made in legalising Lao workers in Thailand where a number of Lao nationals are known to be working both legally and illegally. In this regard, the meeting instructed the authorities in charge to continue working with Thailand to legalise the remaining undocumented Lao workers. The cabinet entrusted the Lao authorities to work with local labour recruitment agencies to improve ways to help Lao labourers wanting to work in other countries so that they depart and work through legal channels.

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Over US$1 billion has been disbursed in various business activities and the development of special and specific economic zones, driven by growing regional economic integration. Almost 300 companies from Laos and overseas are now investing in the SEZs, with a total registered capital of almost US$8 billion, of which US$1.62 billion has been spent. The Lao National Committee for Special Economic Zones unveiled its latest report recently, showing that SEZs in Laos have become increasingly attractive to foreign investors due to tax incentives and infrastructure improvement. While SEZs have seen a lot of progress, some are still in the initial stages of development since they are building and installing the necessary infrastructure to accommodate local and foreign entrepreneurs, such as roads, water supplies, electricity and other facilities.

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