The Myawaddy trading zone will open for business on Armed Forces Day on March 27. Pic: Myanmar Fisheries Federation

THE Myawaddy border trading zone near the town of the same name along the Myanmar-Thai border in Kayin State will open on Armed Forces Day on March 27, an official from the Myanmar Fisheries Federation said last week.

The zone is aimed at promoting trade between the two countries and has been built on the 200-kilometre (125-mile) section of highway between Myawaddy and Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State. The zone is about 10 kilometres from Myawaddy.

“The zone was set to open in February but there were some construction delays and we were not able to make that target.

“But now that the relevant authorities are pushing ahead with construction work, we believe that we’ll be ready for Armed Forces Day,” said U Han Tun, the federation’s vice chairman.

He added that the buildings which will be used for the inspection of exports and imports are already complete and the roads linking these together are underway.

U Han Tun said work on the warehouses and shops for the zone are on track to be finished by March 27. However, he expressed concern that some aspects of the zone still need some work.

“The plots for the trading of fisheries products are yet to be built and when I look around the neighbouring plots they have not even started clearing the land,” U Han Tun said, adding that no decision has even been made who will undertake this work.

All the construction work at the zone – including the shops, offices and warehouses – is being handled by five different companies.
The offices and laboratories for quality testing will be built by the Department of Fisheries.

When all the work is finalised, the federation has previously said that it will invite individuals and companies to set up in the federation’s business wing at the zone.

Myawaddy plays an important role in Myanmar-Thai trade and is one of the biggest export points for Myanmar’s fisheries: During this financial year the government has set an export target of US$60 million in revenues from the zone.

The Fisheries Department is also trying to stop the illegal export of fisheries products through the border area and are hoping that once the zone is fully operational, legal trading will be increased.

Department figures show that about K60 million in illegal fisheries were intercepted by border officials.