MYANMAR should embrace the idea of an ASEAN furniture brand as
it will help introduce the country's products to new markets without
requiring local manufacturers to devote a lot of resources to
marketing, a leading Yangon furniture maker said on August 27.
Speaking after a suggestion by Philippine industrialists earlier
in the month to launch a common brand for furniture makers in
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, U Aye Lwin said the
Myanmar furniture industry should prepare now for greater integration.
“Under the (ASEAN) brand, Myanmar would enjoy greater
market share without spending time on marketing. But only if we
make preparations in advance can we enjoy the benefits of exporting
furniture under a single brand,” said U Aye Lwin, owner
of the Minn Wun Industries furniture factory at the Dagon Seikkan
Industrial Zone, whose management committee he chairs.
“Thanks to the widespread availability of high-quality
raw materials, we can produce good furniture. But in terms of
production, we are far behind others in the region.
“If we don’t try to export more, our products will
be even less known in the world market and we will be out of the
competition,” he said.
Myanmar’s furniture industry lacks advanced technology
and instead relies heavily upon manpower. Its bulky designs have
also been criticised by government officials and local furniture
makers for wasting wood and being unsuitable for some foreign
markets, such as densely populated Japan.
U Aye Lwin, who until August 24 was an executive committee member
of the ASEAN Furniture Industries Council (AFIC), said the region’s
furniture makers have been discussing forming a single brand “for
more than two years”.
Under the proposed branding system, the AFIC would be responsible
for establishing quality standards for items intended to carry
the label.
U Aye Lwin said the government’s support for the initiative
was crucial if Myanmar was to be able to take part in the system.
“It’s time the government started considering ways
to ease export procedures.
“If the government helps smooth out and quicken export regulations,
and manufacturers increase productivity, it will be beneficial
for both (public and private) sectors,” he said.
U Nay Htun Min, secretary general of the Myanmar Forest Products
and Timber Merchants Association, agreed.
“Myanmar products are competitive in the global market.
What we should do is produce more and promote them all over the
world.
“In this process, the government’s support is needed,”
he said.
