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Pwint Thit Sa Project / Transparency in Myanmar Enterprises (TiME)
The Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) has launched the Pwint Thit Sa project, also known as Transparency in Myanmar Enterprises (TiME).
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.
The public information of over 50 major Myanmar companies will be studied. The list of companies is drawn from lists of top Myanmar taxpayers and other significant companies. Comments on the project, including on the questions, and on the companies themselves, can be sent to
The Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) today launched the Pwint Thit Sa project, also known as Transparency in Myanmar Enterprises (TiME). 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.
Background
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Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) is an initiative funded by the UK, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Netherlands and Ireland, based on a collaboration between the UK-based Institute of Human Rights and Business, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. The Centre was established to provide an effective and legitimate platform for the creation of knowledge, capacity and dialogue concerning responsible business in Myanmar, based on local needs and international standards, which results in more responsible business practices. It is a neutral platform working with businesses, civil society and government.
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The companies for the research project have been drawn from the list of the Top 100 commercial tax payers and Top 100 income payers published by the Internal Revenue Department. Subsidiaries have been grouped together under their parent Group. Other large companies have also been added to the list.
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Transparency International’sTransparency in Corporate Reporting study assesses companies’ anti-corruption reporting practices, the way they organize company holdings such as subsidiaries and joint ventures, and the level of information they report about each country they operate in. Greater levels of corporate transparency and accountability can minimise the risk of corruption. For more information click here.
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A list of the questions/issues which will be searched for on websites is also available from the MCRB website. Comments on this, and on the company list, including any suggestions for other companies to be included can be sent to [email protected]
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Research by MCRB on company websites will begin in March. Companies will be informed of the research. They will receive the initial findings in April/May. Companies will have the opportunity to identify or add further information to their website. The overall findings will be published by July.
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The Forum on Business and Anti-Corruption in ASEAN’ has been organized by the ASEAN CSR Network (ACN), with support from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office UK (FCO) through the British High Commission of Singapore. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Global Compact (UNGC) are also supporting the event.
