Vice President U Myint Swe kicks off design of National Export Strategy 2020-2025
(Yangon) – The Government of Myanmar today took the first steps towards updating the National Export Strategy originally designed in 2015. Public and private sector stakeholders collaborated at a symposium to discuss the current state of Myanmar’s export performance and key topics that the NES 2020-2025 will address.
“This symposium is a great platform for public and private stakeholders to discuss opportunities for Myanmar export development within the fast-paced transformation of the global economy,” said U Zaw Min Win, President of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce. “It’s also an occasion to look into current challenges relating to the performance of Myanmar’s export, including a strong export and policy framework to support growth.”
The National Export Strategy 2020-2025 will set out specific priority actions and investments to address competitiveness constraints, modernise regulatory systems for improved efficiency, and boost Myanmar industries in order to increase exports. It will also set objectives to improve opportunities for Myanmar’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and exporters in regional and global trade. The NES will guide the development of new exporters while supporting the growth of traditional export industries.
The symposium is the first of a series of NES consultations initiated by the Ministry of Commerce and supported by the Trade and Investment Project (TIP), a project implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC), and funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).
It was a fruitful day. At the end of the first symposium an initial diagnosis of trade performance, and institutional and enterprise level dynamics was generated. Furthermore, key national bottlenecks for export development were identified and the NES 2020-2025 vision and strategic orientations were re-affirmed.
“The NES is by no means a theoretical exercise,” said U Aung Soe, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce. “This structural approach will lead to improved trade and investment, which will generate jobs and income for the Myanmar people. Not only in the main urban centers, but also diversified in the States and Regions. In the process that will culminate inthe updated NES 2020-2025 we intend to listen very carefully to voices from the States and Regions, both from the public as well as the private sector.”
The NES could help Myanmar secure a pivotal role in the region, said Gail Marzetti, the Head of DFID Myanmar. “With the rapid development of trade corridors across the region, increasing integration into global value chains and the growing demands of Asian consumers, Myanmar is strategically located to grow. The National Export Strategy is an important instrument to leverage these opportunities and deliver key goals of the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan.”
About ITC - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
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Jarle Hetland, Media Officer
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