The closure of dozens of illegal trade gates along the border with Thailand to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is causing shortages of everything from beer and energy drinks to detergent and cosmetics, highlighting the vast scale of informal trade with Thailand.
A “collateral-free” loan scheme for small and medium enterprises launched by the Myanmar government in 2014 looks functional on paper, but business owners say it is nearly impossible to access and does not provide enough money to be useful.
BY Frontier
