Information Sheet No. A-0123(I)

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                Information Sheet
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No. A-0123(I)				     Date.12-9-97

(1)		Shwepyitha Industrial Zone Management Committe Office,
		shop    	houses, factories inaugurated
		Shwepyitha Industrial Zone Management Committee Office built by the
Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development, and shop houses and
factories were inaugurated at Shwepyitha Industrial Zone 1, Shwepyitha
Township, on 11 September.
		Aiming at socio-economic development, creating new job 
opportunities for local people and expansion of modern technology, the 
Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development of the Ministry 
of Construction designed Shwepyitha Industrial Zone and allotted plots to 
entrepreneurs beginning 1 April 1992. The zone covering a total area of
273.74 acres locates 331 plots of various sizes. Sixty-eight factories under
construction and in operation include garment, purified water, footerwear,
battery, polythene bag, PVC pipe, flask, distillery and finished wood
factories. The inauguration ceremony of Migyaung Garment Factory, Shwe Thazin
Polythene Bag Factory and the opening ceremony of Yung Fa Slippers Factory
were later held in front of the factories. All roads in the zone were repaved
on self-reliance beginning 1995. The entrance road, 34,00 feet long was
repaved by the D.H.S.H.D.

(2)		Extensive manufacture of value-added finished wood products 			will
terminate export of teak, precious hardwoods
		More and More foreign entrepreneurs have turned towards Myanmar for raw
wood and production of value-added finished wood products is being undertaken
with foreign investments and technical knowhow. 
		The Ministry of Forestry has arranged support programmes for the local
wood-based entrepreneurs. The ministry will also undertake, in cooperation
with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the Project for
Introducing Myanmar?s Lesser-used Timber Species to the World Market and the
Project for Upgrading Production Efficiency in Furniture Manufacturing. The
 results gained from the projects will be shared with the local furniture
manufacturers. The establishment of furniture factories is more labour
intensive than manufacturing of other value-added products, and there will be
job opportunities in the region and scantlings can be used in furniture
making. Most profits can be gained from the industry, calculated on the value
of one unit of raw wood, also contributing to conservation of forest
resources. Boosting manufacture of value-added finished wood products will
eventually create conditions to 
terminate export of teak and other wood logs and teak and other precious 
hardwood such as Thingan, Hnaw, Yamanay and Thinwin and lesser-used species
will be most effectively made use of to be able to penetrate world markets.

(3)		Yangon Airways Ltd jointly taken over by Myanma Airways, 			Myanmar May
Flower Group
		Yangon Airways Ltd, initially formed jointly by Myanma Airways and Krong
Sombat Co Ltd of Thailand, has been jointly taken over by Myanma 
Airways and Myanmar May Flower Group (MMF Group). Dealing with aviation,
since 1988 opportunities for establishing joint-venture airlines such as
Myanmar Airways International (MAI), Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways and Myanmar

Helicopter International has been created. MAI is operating international
routes such as Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Dhaka, Kunming, Kuala Lumpur
and Jakarta with Boeing 737-400s and is keeping abreast with other
international airlines. The credibility of MAI, the cordiality and
hospitality of Myanmar staff and comfort of the flights has brought constant
success and popularity to MAI in the world. 
		Air Mandalay is also a successful joint-venture airline operating not only
domestic routes but also international ones to Chaingmai, Phuket and
Chiangrai using three ATR-72-210s built with high technology and full
security. Myanmar?s third joint-venture airline is Yangon Airways which has
been formed with the aim of contributing to development of border areas and
success of 1996 Visit Myanmar Year, bringing about fast transport of the
nationals to their destinations and introducing modern, international class
transport facilities for the domestic routes. Yangon Airways, though only
nearly 11 months old for it was launched on 15 October 1996, transported a
total of 55,860 passengers from 16 October 1996 to 31 August 1997 and has won
the patronage and favour of local travellers. In honour of Myanmar?s
membership in the ASEAN, the airline charging air fares are also much lower
than the former fares in FECs.Myanmar is strategic gateway of Asia to West
Europe and Asia-Pacific region and so it is a promising country for air
transport and poised to achieve further 
economic development with the participation of foreign entrepreneurs and
visits of tourists.

(4)		Myangonmyint, Hutchison Whompoa Group, Golden Lion 
		International sign MoU
		Myangonmyint Co, Hutchison Whompoa Group Ltd of Hong Kong and Golden Lion
International Holdings Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding at Sedona
Hotel on 11 September. According to the MoU, the companies will operate
communication services, road construction, building of freight handling
jetties and deep-sea ports, housing, drilling and exploration of oil and gas
and production of high-quality feedstuff and personal goods in Myanmar.

		OFFICE CALL IN YANGON ON 11 SEPTEMBER

(A)		Minister for Commerce Lt-Gen Tun Kyi received Manging Director of Bally
Singapore Pte Ltd Mr Tan Kim Boon and party at his office.

(B)		Minister for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development
Affairs Lt-Gen Maung Thint received Special Envoy of the 
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr John Dauth at his office.

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