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Burma Turns to Japan, Thailand to Start Stalled Dawei Project

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Dawei Development Company’s Managing Director Somjet Thinaphong discusses a model of the economic zone

 

RANGOON — Myanmar is set to wrest control of its Dawei industrial complex from a Thai company, Italian Thai Development (ITD), over its failure to attract investors to a strategically located, multi-billion dollar project tipped as a game-changer for regional trade.

According to two sources involved in the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ), plans have been overhauled to inject foreign capital and expertise to revive what is arguably Southeast Asia’s most ambitious industrial zone – a 100 sq mile deep-sea port, petrochemical and heavy industry hub on the slim peninsula separating the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The project’s leader, ITD, and firms it had made contracts with, have been told to cease activities at Dawei to undergo due diligence by international auditors to create “better modality”, according to a senior Myanmar government official.

The review of a project that was for years stuck in a quagmire could be a significant boost to swelling Japanese industrial interests in the region, which include numerous deals with Myanmar’s pro-business, quasi-civilian government and long established automobile and high-tech manufacturing plants in neighboring Thailand, where firms like Honda, Toyota, Canon and Toshiba operate.

The planned complex, which will include a steel mill, a refinery and a power plant, will be linked by highway to Bangkok and Thailand’s eastern seaboard industrial zone.

That will mean Dawei could serve as an industry and trade gateway to Southeast Asia’s markets, bypassing the Malacca Straits, the world’s busiest shipping lane.

Myanmar would ask for Japanese and Thai government support to appoint companies to carry out a revised plan for the first stage of Dawei. This stage would include the development of a small port and access roads and setting up a water supply system and small gas-fired power plant “as quickly as possible”, the government source said, adding that it had yet to be agreed which firms would be involved.

The second stage would involve international tenders for the bigger projects, including the deep-sea port, and the building of a bigger power plant, which could be coal-fired.

Junta’s Deal Ditched?

It had also yet to be determined what role ITD, Thailand’s biggest construction company, would play in a project for which it was granted a 75-year concession under a deal struck in the 1990s with Burma’s then military government, which ceded power in 2011.

“We’re trying to figure out a different model where ITD is going to be involved as well as other investors. We’re talking about billions of dollars, how can one company be able to develop all these projects?”, the source asked.

A Myanmar delegation was due to meet Thai and Japanese government officials in Bangkok starting on Wednesday. Thailand’s commerce minister said the gathering would see ITD relieved of its lead role and reimbursed for costs incurred.

“The meeting’s agenda also includes termination of ITD’s contract in terms of the company’s role as Dawei project manager,” the minister, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, told reporters.

“Myanmar wants to open up this project to other parties and involve international companies and governments in the other phases of Dawei’s construction and wants to ensure the project’s transparency,” Niwatthamrong continued.

Burma’s move on Dawei comes amid a series of liberal economic reforms to attract jobs and investment to one of Asia’s poorest states. One year ago, the country asked for Thai support for the project and the government pledged financing from Thai banks, including Bangkok Bank and Siam Commercial Bank.

Investors have expressed reluctance to commit to Dawei because of reservations regarding the leadership of ITD, which was dealt a blow last year when Max Myanmar, a company owned by local construction and banking tycoon Zaw Zaw, announced it would divest its 20 percent stake. Burma’s government has until now had a hands-off approach to Dawei, but ITD has struggled to find private investors.

Despite being hailed by ITD as “the new global gateway of Indochina”, with an estimated $50 billion value within the next decade, the project has been fraught with difficulties from the outset, including issues finding a power source amid concerns about pollution from a proposed 4,000 megawatt coal-fired plant, which Myanmar’s government rejected.

A finance industry source in Bangkok with close knowledge of the deal said ITD would most likely back out of the broader Dawei plan due to a lack of funds, but would be likely to stay on as the main contractor for infrastructure. ITD officials did not respond to requests for information.

Myanmar’s decision to overhaul the plan follows rapid progress on its 5,900-acre Thilawa economic zone, near the biggest city, Rangoon, which is to be run by a Burma-Japan joint venture involving Mitsubishi, Marubeni and Sumitomo, plus support from the Japanese government.

Edwin Vanderbruggen, a Rangoon-based business lawyer with the law firm of VDB Loi, said the new approach to Dawei would be more efficient and financially secure as big players would be involved, especially those from Japan.

“It’s too large to be a single-purpose, Thailand-oriented project. This is on a Southeast Asia scale, so its better to broaden the base,” he said.

“There’s been a lot of progress made. The regulatory framework has changed, the perception of the country has changed. It has improved. Maybe that’s why they want to reboot it,” Vanderbruggen continued.

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PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

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(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Infosys

(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children

Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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water

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

water

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP

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