Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play two major roles in the Myanmar economy: (1) they make up over 95% of all private enterprises, and (2) they employ the majority of the labour force. This suggests that the development of a well-functioning and thriving private sector is crucial to Myanmar achieving a sustained economic growth over time. Yet, there has been very little academic research that rigorously analyses the private sector performance in Myanmar. This study will examine the dynamics of private enterprises through detailed interviews with SME owners in the largest city, Yangon, to better inform policy decisions during a critical time of political and economic transformation of the country. Furthermore, by making the data publicly available to the international research community, this study will facilitate research development in Myanmar and foster future research opportunities.
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