News – Page 3 – EMC Consulting

News

Lao’s entrepreneurial ecosystem – new perspectives

The Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF), with partners EMC Consulting and Toh Lao Coworking Space (Toh-X), gathered local stakeholders in Vientiane Capital to discuss new perspectives on Lao's entrepreneurial ecosystem. On 13 July 2018, the local stakeholders from Lao’s entrepreneurial ecosystem gathered at a workshop in Vientiane Capital to share their appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the ecosystem and elaborate together potential solutions to contribute to a more conducive operating environment for local entrepreneurs and their businesses. Over...

July 14, 2018

By Matt van RoosmalenPrivate Sector Development

Xing Jiajia Offers Perspectives on Influences of the Belt and Road Initiative on Cambodia

As Cambodia needs to build and upgrade its infrastructure to boost its economic growth, the Belt and Road Initiative holds the promise of new roads, ports, airports, and other projects, said Senior Director Ms. Xing Jiajia during the event organized by BritCham Cambodia on 09 July 2018 at Chinese House. She further clarified that the Belt and Road Initiative (“BRI”) of China has its strategic objectives, particularly to focus on connectivity and cooperation between countries along the Silk Road Economic...

July 9, 2018

By TommyIn the Press

Myanmar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

The Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF), in cooperation with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Myanmar, partners with EMC Consulting, the ANDE, Micro Empire and Impact Hub Yangon, gathered local stakeholders in Yangon to discuss new perspectives on Myanmar's entrepreneurial ecosystem. On 12 June 2018, local stakeholders from Myanmar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem gathered at Impact Hub Yangon to share their appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the ecosystem and elaborate together potential solutions to contribute to a more conducive operating...

June 13, 2018

By tottenPrivate Sector Development

Kasikorn Business Matching – Modern Retail

AEC export opportunity: The World Business Team at Kasikorn Bank are running business matching for SME wishing to export to Thailand and AEC. Kasikorn Bank SME Matching Day A good opportunity for quality Cambodian, Laotian and Myanma exporters to meet major regional buyers. The focus is on high growth retail segments... urban living, active lifestyle and modern diet. 60 business leaders in on and offline retail, distribution, real estate and hospitality, from 10 ASEAN countries. This is the 3rd mega matchup - it...

March 31, 2018

By tottenMarket Entry & Investment

Green Growth Lao PDR

EMC conducted a Green Growth Potential Assessment (GGPA) during 2016-2017 to assist the Government of the Lao PDR (GoL) in formulating its national green growth strategy and support the national administration in policy design and implementation. The project was undertaken for the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), which is advising the National Institute for Economic Research in this process. We also worked closely with Dr. John Ward, of the Mekong Region Futures Institute. GGPA Concept (source: GGGI) The GGGI is a treaty-based...

March 20, 2018

By tottenEconomic Research, Strategy

Cambodia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem – new perspectives

The Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF), in cooperation with EMC Consulting and Cambodian Women Entrepreneurs Association, gathered local stakeholders to discuss new perspectives on Cambodia's entrepreneurial ecosystem. On 12th December 2017, local stakeholders from Cambodia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem gathered in Phnom Penh to share their appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the ecosystem and elaborate together potential solutions to contribute to a more conducive operating environment for local entrepreneurs and their businesses. 34 representatives from financial institutions, business associations, development...

December 13, 2017

By tottenEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Cambodia Economy in Charts

This is a quick summary of the Cambodia economy and outlook based on data as of Nov 2017 - GDP and GDP growth, sectoral composition, exports, services, labor market issues and business constraints. It's not supposed to be detailed analysis, but may be useful timesaver for those interested in this topic. We put the slides together to facilitate discussion on employment opportunities for those at risk of trafficking and unsafe migration (at Chab Dai bi-annual members' meeting 2017). It's an...

November 25, 2017

By Matt van RoosmalenEconomic Research

Giving Credit Where Credit’s Due..

World Bank Doing Business Cambodia has barely budged with overall ranking declining slightly from 131 to 135 (2017 v 2018). There are many things of interest to comment on in WB DB stats. What's particularly interesting, for purposes of this post, is Cambodia's extraordinary performance in the metric 'Getting Credit', where it scores 20th of 190 economies world-wide. That is ahead of not only the Mekong family (Lao PDR 79, Myanmar 177) but wealthy ASEAN cousins (Singapore, 29) and my home...

November 6, 2017

By tottenEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Cham Language, Literature and Literacy

EMC and Breogan Consulting are currently on the 4th iteration of our Cambodian - Cham language literacy program. This blog is a brief summary of the work and achievements. The Cham Heritage Expansion (CHE) program involves the standardization of the written form, production of variety of Cham language training materials and text books, other literature, design and implementation of teacher and student training. The teaching program takes place outside state school hours in parallel to the state school system, and thus...

October 8, 2017

By tottenUncategorized

energy efficiency

Energy Efficiency – Cambodia’s Industrial Sector

Energy Efficiency improves a firm's competitiveness (less cost) and the environment we all share (less emissions). This blog post summarizes the energy and energy efficiency situation in Cambodia. It's a summary of the initial phase of a pre-feasibility study (PFS) for a 'fund' to encourage Cambodian SME to invest in energy efficiency. EMC completed the original study for the National Council for Sustainable Development (Royal Government of Cambodia) and the Global Green Growth Institute. The study was motivated by the earlier...

October 8, 2017

By tottenEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Governance in Mining Sector

Governance of Cambodia’s Mining Industry

EMC report, Cambodia's Mineral Exploration Licensing Process: Governance Risk Assessment aims to identify and analyse governance risks associated with the process for granting mineral exploration license in Cambodia. The study is in line with the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) efforts to improve the governance system in mining sector and their recently adopted initiative to enhance effectiveness of the Ministerial Exploration Process. This assessment was conducted by Emerging Markets Consulting (EMC) with support from Transparency International Cambodia (TI-Cambodia), using the...

September 24, 2017

By tottenEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Lao PDR: The Labor Shortage

Labor and Skills shortage is one of 4 particular hurdles faced by SME in Lao PDR, according to our report "Business Formalization in Lao PDR". The post looks at causes and the impact on firms' competitiveness and the economy. Labor and Skills Shortage A clear finding of this study is that shortages of labor and skills are among the biggest constraints facing the private sector in the Lao PDR. Whereas a shortage of skilled labor is a challenge common to many developing...

September 23, 2017

By k4mediaEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Informal SME in Lao PDR

Many businesses in Lao PDR remain informal, and struggle to grow into medium-sized and large businesses that are capable of providing decent work for large numbers of Lao PDR citizens. This is 2 of 3 blog posts based on our recent report "Business Formalization in the Lao PDR". Growing Small and Medium Sized Firms (SME) The private sector in the Lao PDR is highly fragmented. Official figures for registered enterprises show that small enterprises (1-19 employees) comprise about 99% of all enterprises...

September 23, 2017

By tottenEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Economic Growth In Lao PDR

This blog, taken from EMC report "Business Formalization in Lao PDR" (Sept 2016) considers whether Lao PDR's strong rates of economic growth are masking some underlying weaknesses in the productivity and profitability of many private sector enterprises, and in particular SME. Economic Performance The macroeconomic performance of the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has been remarkably strong and stable over a sustained period of time. In the decade to 2015, the economy grew by an average of 7.8% per year, with...

September 23, 2017

By k4mediaEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

SMEs’ use of finance – CLMV

As part of our work for the Dutch Good Growth Fund #ClosingTheGap series, we analysed 2016 data from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys to paint a nuanced picture of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. SMEs are not a homogeneous group. Hence their finance and development needs are different. SMEs' use of financial services differs not just across the four countries, but according to the type of SME. We segment SMEs according to their size and growth into a number...

September 13, 2017

By tottenEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Obstacles faced by SMEs in CLMV

As part of our work for the Dutch Good Growth Fund #ClosingTheGap series, we analysed data from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys to understand the obstacles faced by small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. In-depth country studies were undertaken in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. SMEs are not a homogeneous group. They report different obstacles and constraints - depending on their location, their size, and other characteristics. And these obstacles change over time. Business obstacles by country and size Access...

September 13, 2017

By k4mediaEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Cambodia’s SMEs

As part of our work for the Dutch Good Growth Fund #ClosingTheGap series, we have analysed 2016 data from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys to paint a nuanced picture of Cambodia's small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are not a homogeneous group. Hence their financing and development needs are different. Finding the Gazelles Segmenting Cambodia's SMEs by size and growth highlights that the majority are small and low-growth ("necessity entrepreneurs"), but a small number are larger and faster-growing ("Small growing businesses" and "Gazelles"). Source:...

September 13, 2017

By tottenEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Cambodia: Reducing the gender gap

Women make a major contribution to the Cambodian economy, including by owning and managing the majority of businesses. Yet they face a number of particular barriers. Women are more likely to be illiterate and less likely to have completed primary and secondary education than men. This means they face greater challenges in business registration and obtaining and interpreting business regulations and information. Social norms can make it more difficult for women to interact with male government officials. Hence there may...

August 13, 2017

By k4mediaEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Unlocking Cambodia’s Potential

Our report 'Unlocking the Potential of the Cambodian Private Sector' has been published here. This study was carried out under the Mekong Business Initiative project (MBI). The MBI is a regional technical assistance project funded by the Government of Australia and the Asian Development Bank. This article is a summary of the report. Cambodia’s economic performance has been strong for more than a decade, with real GDP growth averaging around 8% per year since 2001. Poverty rates have fallen, literacy and primary...

August 7, 2017

By tottenEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Recruitment of Children into Armed Groups in Conflict-Affected Areas

The recruitment of children into armed forces in Myanmar has been one of the most tragic consequences of the conflict in rural areas, aggravated by socioeconomic factors and the pressure on non-state actors to recruit members. Armed opposition groups operating in Southern Shan State have been known to recruit children, according to several independent reports. EMC research – commissioned by the ILO – is contributing to the ongoing effort to help children previously associated with armed conflict and to prevent the recruitment...

April 6, 2017

By tottenUncategorized

Women in the Construction Sector

In an interview with EMC, Srey Nich*[1] stated that men are paid higher than females because “they can do a greater variety of tasks… and are more skillful.” She also stated that “men are more absent than women because they go back to their hometowns. Female construction workers are not absent, but the manager may tell her she is no longer needed because there is no work for her.” The undervaluing of women in the workplace is a global problem that...

March 21, 2017

By k4mediaPrivate Sector Development

Green Growth Policy

Green Growth Policy in Cambodia

This blog summarizes the frameworks and institutions (as of mid-2016) of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) relevant to green growth policy, climate change, energy efficiency and SME development in general. It comes from the inception report to a EMC Prefeasibility Study (PFS) for a 'Fund' to encourage Cambodian SME to invest in energy efficiency technology. It is not an assessment - simply a useful summary of instruments and institutions. It is fair to say that in key areas the intent and...

March 14, 2017

By k4mediaPrivate Sector Development

USAID counter trafficking in persons (CTIP)

Emerging Markets Consulting (EMC) is very pleased to contribute to CTIP and look forward to successful collaboration. CTIP will work with civil society, governments and private sector to reduce human trafficking in Asia. The program will initially focus on human trafficking in the Lower Mekong countries of Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam as well as Bangladesh. Recent examples of EMC relevant work include: Economic motivation for outbound migration from Cambodia (USAID) Job opportunities for migrant workers in Myanmar Impact of...

January 12, 2017

By Matt van RoosmalenEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Thanks for a successful 2016

A big thank you to all our clients and partners in 2016. During the year EMC worked on 80 projects, for around 40 various investors, development partners and government clients. We covered a broad number of thematic areas across business consulting, economic & social research, private sector development and evaluations. Some notable highlights included: Field research team in China International work. EMC continued to do more work outside our core markets of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar – in 2016 this included Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, Rwanda,...

January 5, 2017

By tottenUncategorized

Financing Development of Bangladesh Garment Sector

Low safety conditions in the Bangladesh Ready Made Garment (RMG) sector cost lives in the past few years. How much does it cost to make all factories safe and what is stopping factories from doing so? Bangladesh is one of largest apparel exporters in the world. In the 1980s, about 50 factories produced clothing, while the number is now estimated to hover around 4,269[1]. Production of Ready Made Garment (RMG) is crucial to the Bangladeshi economy, as the sector is the largest...

November 29, 2016

By tottenPrivate Sector Development

Migration from Cambodia and the Domestic Labor Market

What is the typical profile of a potential migrant from Cambodia, and what are the drivers that lead individuals to migrate abroad? Recent research commissioned by USAID and carried out by EMC has attempted to answer these questions, and to investigate how one might address migration push factors that make it unattractive for vulnerable populations to remain in the country. The majority of Cambodia’s migrants migrate through unsafe channels and without official travel documents, and are therefore at a heightened risk of...

October 2, 2016

By k4mediaEconomic Research, Private Sector Development

Refugee

Refugee Employment and Income Generation Opportunities

Burmese refugees have been crossing the border into Thailand since 1984, fleeing incessant fighting in South-eastern Myanmar, religious and ethnic persecution and resulting economic hardship. However as political change in Myanmar enables voluntary repatriation of Burmese refugees, the need arises for technical and vocational skills to generate sustainable income both in the camps and in Myanmar. In this context, Handicap International (HI) with funding support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), commissioned EMC to...

September 28, 2016

By tottenEconomic Research

Researching violence in schools

Understanding ‘Violence in Schools’ in China, Indonesia and Rwanda

EMC was hired by Save the Children Sweden to research 'Violence in Schools' across China, Indonesia & Rwanda. Violence in schools and other educational settings is a global issue in both developed and developing countries – research has associated violence amongst children with negative health, psychosocial, and developmental outcomes. There is also the presumption that violence negatively impacts children’s attendance and academic achievements, but there exists limited research that actually measures the impact of violence on children’s educational outcomes. In addition, there is...

September 6, 2016

By k4mediaEvaluation Impact, Strategy

More angels coming in search of worthy investments

Two months since a group of angel investors visited Phnom Penh in search of startup investment opportunities, the organisation behind the initiative is planning an even bigger scouting mission, looking for investment opportunities in the Kingdom’s small but vibrant startup community. Seven members of the Mekong Angel Investment Network (MAIN) visited the capital in June. Fourteen angel investors will join a delegation due to arrive early next month, according to Steve Landman, managing partner of the Lotus Fund. “We are quite optimistic about the...

August 25, 2016

By TommyIn the Press

Challenges with Rice Husk Gasifiers in Cambodia

Big changes in the operating environment, caused big problems for a recent program to promote gasifiers to rice mills. Here's what went wrong and what we can learn from it. Strong Business Case? On paper, the Cambodian rice mill sector looked like a perfect market for the adoption of rice husk gasification technology. A large reason Cambodian rice mills were uncompetitive against neighboring countries was that their fuel costs were very high; many rice mills do not have access to grid electricity and were...

June 26, 2016

By tottenEvaluation Impact, Private Sector Development