Dr. Yvonne Wong is an expert in sovereign debt and international finance and banking law. Her current research looks at Myanmar’s evolving banking and finance system. Her recent publications include “The World Bank Inspection Panel: A Tool for Accountability?”, and her book Sovereign Finance and the Poverty of Nations: Odious Debt in International Law. For more on her scholarship and work, go to http://www.yvonnewongconsulting.com. Dr. Wong has worked as a lawyer, consultant and academic in various jurisdictions. Most recently she was a consultant based in Myanmar and Cambodia. Prior to this she was on faculty at UNSW Law School. She has also worked as a lawyer in San Francisco, London, Sydney, and Samoa. Dr. Wong is a member of the New York State Bar and admitted to practice in New South Wales, Australia. She obtained her BCommerce/LLB from University of Sydney, and her LLM and JSD from Berkeley Law School.
Money Matters in Myanmar
While with CBFL, Yvonne will be working on her new book entitled Money Matters in Myanmar – which looks at Myanmar’s new banking and finance framework. Since the opening of the country in 2011, the lifting or suspension of the majority of international sanctions, and the re-engagement with the international business community, Myanmar has been grappling with modernising its legal and economic infrastructure. The government has specifically prioritized law reform in the banking and finance system. A slew of new financial laws have been put in place, which have resulted in nominal and real changes. For instance, residents and travellers can now easily withdraw monies from Automatic Teller Machines, and transfer funds through Western Union from abroad, – both of which activities were not possible a year ago. More recently, the government has granted a number of banking licences to foreign banks, though with restrictions on services offered to the domestic market. Yvonne’s research aims to consolidate into a user friendly book the new rules and realities of banking and finance in Myanmar.
