Finance & economics | Meant to be

Myanmar admits foreign life insurers

AIA, Chubb and others hope for rich pickings in South-East Asia’s most populous mainland country

|YANGON

KO PHOE THAR is a cheery 22-year-old liquor-store clerk from Mandalay, a city in central Myanmar. Death, and other less-certain future misfortunes, are far from his mind. A host of insurance companies newly arrived in the country would like to change that. Last week the finance ministry issued licences to foreign life insurers for the first time. Five—AIA, Chubb, Dai-Ichi Life, Manulife and Prudential PLC—have been permitted to operate as wholly owned subsidiaries. Others are required to find local partners.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Meant to be”

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