Business news from Myanmar (7 Septe

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Subject: Business news from Myanmar (7 September 1999) 


MyaBuzz
Business news from Myanmar (7 September 1999)

C O N T E N T S
0907-01 Myanmar Southern Archipelago: A Lucrative Fishing Ground
0907-02 Iran To Send Its Cotton Experts to Myanmar
0907-03 Germany to Train Myanmar Telecommunication Engineers
0907-04 Network of Gas Pipelines in Central Myanmar 
0907-05 Upper Myanmar Farmers and Industrialists To Get More Loans
0907-06 Cotton Growing Region To Boost Fabric Production
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0907-01 Myanmar Southern Archipelago: A Lucrative Fishing Ground
**The Southern seaside town of Myeik, provincial capital in the southern
most province of Thannyinthayi, has good fish breeding sites.

Local based Pyi Phyo Tun International Company has its starry fish breeding
ground on a tiny island on Myeik archipelago. The Starry fish carry good
price. Hong Kong buyers pay up to US$ 6,000 per ton on Myeik FOB basis.1 %
tax is levied by the tax authorities. The company up to this date sold over
100 tons abroad. Mostly vessels from Hong Kong come to the Myeik port to
purchase fish and other marine products.

Myanmar Sea has widespread reserves of starry fish, whose taste lure most
customers in the Hong Kong's restaurants. 

0907-02 Iran To Send Its Cotton Experts to Myanmar
**Iranian cotton experts will be sent to Myanmar to give advice for Myanmar
cotton growers.

The detail plan for this was negotiated during the visit of Myanmar
Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Nyunt Tin's visit to Teheran.

The Minister also coordinated with the Iranian officials about the direct
trading between two countries. Currently Iran buys Myanmar's product from
India, Europe and Singapore. Iran is also interested to buy Myanmar rubber
and fibers.

The two countries also agreed to send their trade missions and to
coordinate on bilateral level for staging trade fairs in both countries.

During his visit Minister Nyunt Tin also signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for greater cooperation in agriculture sector at least for
another five years.

0907-03 Germany to Train Myanmar Telecommunication Engineers
**4 Myanmar telecommunication engineers will attend the training course in
Munich, Germany.

The training is on Mobile Switching Control for GSM telephones. Myanmar is
up grading its telecommunication system; the GSM card system telephone will
be installed by the early year 2000. Last month the International Direct
Dialing (IDD) system was open for private use. E-mail is available now in
Yangon and before the end of this year, 500 connections for Internet will
be available as at the first stage.

0907-04 Network of Gas Pipelines in Central Myanmar 
**Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise is undertaking laying of gas pipeline
passing through central Myanmar cities.

The pipeline will start from Pyay, about 275 Km north of Yangon to Myingyn
near the upper Myanmar capital Mandalay, passing the oil rich central
Myanmar region to Mandalay.

Places like Yenanchaung and Chuck in this region are traditionally oil and
gas rich region. Currently multi-national oil companies Unocal and Total
are exploring natural gas in the Gulf of Mottama. It will be exported to
Thailand via pipelines.

0907-05 Upper Myanmar Farmers and Industrialists To Get More Loans
**Tun Foundation bank, on 4th September opens its new branch in Mandalay,
capital city of Upper Myanmar, the bank will grant more loans to farmers
and industrialists of this upper Myanmar. Including this branch, the bank
already has 3 branches.

Myanmar private banking sector is thriving with the 20 different names
operating in banking business nationwide. 45 foreign banks, including most
renowned banks from Germany and Hong Kong, have their representative
offices in Yangon.

0907-06 Cotton Growing Region To Boost Fabric Production
**Ministry of Industry 1 is undertaking the construction of 3 new textile
factories in cotton rich central Myanmar.

Plans are underway for the construction of textile and finishing factory on
670 acre land in Pwintbyu town about 550 km north of Yangon. Another
finishing factory will be built on 700 acres plot in nearby Pakokku
Township and other will be in Sagaing province. These projects are expected
completed by the year 2000. 

These areas in central Myanmar are traditionally cotton-growing areas. The
main economy of the region is yearning and fabric making, from centuries. 
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