Myanmar GDP to stagnate as conscription chases away workers: World Bank

BANGKOK -- Relentless conflict and the military's imposition of compulsory conscription are driving Myanmar's economy into a deepening crisis, according to the latest World Bank analysis.

The bank predicts Myanmar's gross domestic product will grow 1% in the year through next March. In December, the institution forecast growth of 2% for the civil war-torn country. The bank said in its report released on Wednesday that the slower growth "is largely due to the persistence of high inflation and constraints on access to labor, foreign exchange, and electricity."