On May 12, 2020, Myanmar’s Insurance Business Regulatory Board (IBRB) issued Directive 4/2020—a game-changer for the insurance industry in Myanmar. Previously, reinsurance in Myanmar had only been available through the state-owned Myanma Insurance, without competition. However, when this directive comes into force on October 1, 2020, insurance companies (or cedants) will be able to obtain reinsurance from other insurers or reinsurers within Myanmar or abroad, with certain restrictions.

In a significant step towards the implementation of Myanmar’s suite of new IP laws enacted in 2019, the Union Government of Myanmar has announced the formation of the Central Committee for Intellectual Property Rights (CCIPR) via Notification No.18/2020 dated March 6, 2020, published in the Myanmar Gazette on May 8, 2020. A subsequent amendment to the composition of the committee was made via Notification No. 21/2020 dated March 18, 2020.

On May 12, 2020, Thailand’s Revenue Department (RD) announced a further extension for e-tax filing for the months of March to August, 2020 (six months total).The RD’s announcement is meant to further encourage use of the online system for filing and paying taxes, which they have been promoting since the 2012 introduction of the e-tax filing system by regularly granting eight-day extensions. This year, the extension is larger to provide a greater incentive to file online, cutting down on crowding in RD offices and thereby limiting the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus.