TODAY

The Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) launched the Pwint Thit Sa project, also known as Transparency in Myanmar Enterprises (TiME) on March 18, 2014. The project is intended to encourage increased transparency by Myanmar businesses in the areas of anti-corruption, organizational transparency, and human rights, health, safety and the environment.  Myanmar civil society groups and international companies have repeatedly told MCRB that they attach importance to having more information about these issues from Myanmar companies. 

Speaking in the margins of the ‘Forum on Business and Anti-Corruption in ASEAN’ Vicky Bowman, MCRB Director said ‘Transparency is the backbone of a responsible business. And in the internet age, it makes good business sense for every major company to have an up to date website and to use it to make information available about its business approach.  We have been inspired to conduct this research by Transparency International’s Transparency in Corporate Reporting report which scores over 100 of the world’s largest companies for their transparency performance. We have also been inspired by the top taxpayers list produced by Myanmar’s Internal Revenue Department which has created a virtuous competition between companies to demonstrate that they are good taxpayers.  We hope that the TiME/Pwint Thit Sa project will have the same effect on company transparency’.

As part of the TiME/Pwint Thit Sa project, MCRB will examine around 50 leading Myanmar companies to see how much information they publish about their approach to these topics. Each company will be rated based on the information provided on the company’s official website or social media pages.   Following initial research by MCRB, companies will be consulted in April/May on the information that MCRB has found on their website.  They will be encouraged to publish more information, and adopt relevant policies where they do not already have them.   After a final check of their websites in June 2014, a league table will be published.  The study will be repeated in 2015, with the objective of encouraging improved transparency during the year. MCRB will also work with those companies who are interested in improving their performance in these areas, and bringing it in line with international standards.