Myanmar-Laos border welcomes commissioning of Kenglat Trading Post

Due to the opening of the Kenglat border trade station between Myanmar and Laos with special funds from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, the economy between the two countries will further increase, and the friendship between the people will also improve, Union Minister for Commerce U Aung Naing Oo said during the opening ceremony of the trade station held on 26 August.

Before the opening ceremony, members of the ethnic perform traditional dances.
The trading post was implemented and built with the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund 2021. The trade station, which was previously opened temporarily, has been upgraded to become a new one with the full characteristics of a big trading station.
The Union minister expressed his gratitude to the People’s Republic of China for providing support from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund for the construction of the camp buildings.
Due to the seperation of the Mekong River between the two countries, bilateral trade has not developed, but the Myanmar-Laos friendship bridge was built, and the natural barrier was overcome.
The Kenglat Trade Station was temporarily opened on 15 March 2015. The trade agreements between Myanmar and Laos were signed on 8 May 1995, and the bilateral border region management and cooperation agreement was signed in Myanmar-Lao-English languages on 27 March 1997 in Yangon by the foreign ministers of the two countries.
The construction of the Myanmar-Laos Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River began in February 2013, was completed on 25 April 2015, and opened on 9 May 2015.
After the opening ceremony of the trading post, the Union minister and the party visited the Myanmar-Laos Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River, visited the trading post in Meyan Ward of Tachilek, met employees, and discussed issues related to promoting exports and preventing illegal trade.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

MGMA’s dedicated commitment to further enhance Myanmar’s garment sector

Following H&M Group phasing out outsourcing from Myanmar, the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) will accelerate its effort to keep improving Myanmar’s garment sector, as per the MGMA’s statement on its commitment released on 25 August.
Reuters reported on 17 August that H&M Group decided to cut ties with Myanmar suppliers.
The MGMA was disheartened to see this unexpected news as it will bring negative impacts on the livelihood of the employees and pose a higher risk of layoffs amid the challenging economic climate. Since its establishment in 2002, the MGMA has been joining hands with all the stakeholders in the industry, development agencies, international partners and valuable brands to enhance the working environment of Myanmar garment factories.
The MGMA has implemented the Voluntary Labour Compliance Assessment (VLCA) from February 2020 to evaluate the compliance of the factories in line with the national labour laws and international labour standards. To beef up the assessments and expand enrolment, the online version was launched in November 2022. More than 220 factories have accomplished the assessment so far and over 100 are still under scrutiny.
Furthermore, the MGMA is discussing constructive engagements and cooperation with the stakeholders concerned in the industry to address the livelihood and labour issues of the workers.
Additionally, the MGMA is encouraging to deepen the ties between the international garment brands and local factories and foreign-owned factories established in the country. The MGMA has experienced negative impacts from the similar withdrawals of the multinational companies in early 2000. The MGMA clearly said in the statement that it strongly believed the responsible presence of international brands in the country is the best way to improve the labour market conditions and safeguard the dignified livelihood of a hundred thousand young women employees. The responsible partnership will contribute to the improvement of the working conditions in progress, as per the statement.
Thus, MGMA is willing to work together with international brands and partners to carry out responsible businesses in Myanmar and commit to keep improving the situation of Myanmar’s garment sector. 

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Businesspersons contributing to State economy to receive impetus

Economic Committee needs to persuade businesspersons to invest in agriculture, livestock and manufacturing industries directly benefiting the State and the people

Two terms of democratic government left more than US$12 billion each of trade deficiency, totalling some $25 billion. These trade deficiencies were propped with cash assistance and loans, said Chairman of the Economic Committee Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the committee meeting 7/2023 at the SAC Chairman Office yesterday morning.
Amid sanctions and destructions, the Senior General recounted the government strived to promote the State economy to hug above nine per cent of GDP (+3 per cent of GDP in the 2021-22 financial year from -5.9 per cent of GDP in 2019-20 FY).
Currently, the government spends more than US$600 million on the import of cooking oil yearly. Hence, the State economic promotion fund was allotted to ensure local oil sufficiency, with a plan to increase the production of cooking oil at home in 2025 and to shape the country to become an oil exporter country.
The Senior General recounted that attempts were made to hinder the ways for the country not get deserved foreign exchange so as to face economic crises, adding that unscrupulous persons made misinformation to raise commodity prices.
The Senior General stressed the need to prioritize the businesses to have a quick win and instructed officials to take action against manipulators of the commodity prices under the procedures.
The Economic Committee needs to persuade businesspersons of investing in agriculture, livestock and manufacturing industries directly benefiting the State and the people, urging them not to do businesses which can be easy to earn incomes.
As neighbouring countries expose the operation of trade and services based on illegal remittance agencies (Hundi), action must be taken against Hundi agencies that harm the State economy whereas the trade process should be done in linking banks for monetary affairs.
The Senior General pointed out that some banks have not been operating their processes in a correct way since the current government took office. As such, it is necessary to systematically monitor the work processes of banks.
The Senior General underscored that it is necessary to implement Kyaukpyu, Dawei and Thilawa special economic zones to have quick progress to benefit the State and neighbouring and regional countries. Likewise, projects of Kyaukpyu and Dawei deep seaports must be implemented as quickly as possible.
The government must provide impetus to the businesspersons doing business to contribute to the State economy.
The Senior General pointed out that agriculture and livestock zones and industrial zones must be supervised to allocate the land plots to those who will actually run the businesses.
Regarding the tourism sector, the Senior General urged regional and state authorities to make preparations for enhancement of the inbound and outbound tourism services in the open season, and they all must review the measures of State economic promotion.
The Senior General gave guidance that relevant ministries have to cooperate with companies in building crude oil mills and oil refineries at the strategic sites for the production of cooking oil. Use of cultivable lands in other ways must be supervised under the rules and regulations.
Operating economic zones is the best to expedite the momentum of the State’s economic promotion. Officials need to restrict the process for businesspersons not to spend unnecessary payments along the trade routes.
The Senior General stressed the need to upgrade border trade camps in Kampaiti, Muse, Chinshwehaw, Tachilek and Myawady. He unveiled that the government is considering the construction of the Muse-Mandalay railway as well as the Chinshwehaw-Lashio railway. The project of railway from Kyaukpyu deep seaport to Mandalay is being implemented for the improvement of commodity flow. The Senior General instructed officials to strive for the resumption of the Tamu road contributing to the India-Myanmar-Thailand tripartite communication route.
In conclusion, the Senior General underscored that the export of commodities should not harm local consumption, urging all to try hard to secure success in the implementation of the projects.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Kawkareik- Myawady segment of Asia Highway returns to normal operations

A temporary bailey bridge already built on the landslide-affected Thaton-Hpa-an-Kawkareik-Myawady section of the Asia Highway in the Kawkareik Township of Kayin State allows the passing of vehicles, according to the Ministry of Construction.
Torrential rains hit Kayin State from 1 August, causing a series of landslides section between mileposts 149 and 150 near Tawnaw waterfall on 6 and 7 August. In the incident, the landslides happened on 33-foot wide earthen layers and some 150-foot-long asphalt road section.
As such, the Ministry of Construction managed the construction of the 70-foot-long and 19-foot and 10-inch-wide steel decking Bailey bridge with the 55-tonne withstanding, starting from 10 August. The Bailey Bridge bears a 13-foot and eight-inch wide motorway. On 25 August, the bridge resumed the linkage of transport on the highway as usual.
“The incident of landslides which occurred last week absolutely halted the flow of commodity. In fact, Myawady at the Myanmar-Thai border is the most imperative camp for commodity flow and passing of vehicles. At a time when the Myawady-Kawkareik road section at the Myanmar-Thai border suspended its functions, the commodity flow of maize, rice and broken rice heading for Thailand from Myanmar was totally halted. At the same time, the imported goods such as foodstuffs from Thailand to Myanmar faced remarkable difficulties in transport. Now, the resumption of transport routes can help smooth and swift the flow of commodities. I think, it may help decline high prices of commodities at home to normalcy,” a businessperson from the UMFCCI told the Global New Light of Myanmar (GNLM).
According to the Ministry of Construction, a culvert or a bridge will be built to recover the landslide section of the highway in open season after calculating the volume and pressure of water there.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar