CNI News
23 Dec 2022
A new Sittwe port, which is a part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, will be opened soon.
The port is ready to handle international ships and necessary measures are being taken to serve domestic ships, Chairman U Tin Aung Oo of Rakhine State Chamber of Commerce and Industry told the CNI.
He said, "As far as we know, Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project has been completed and it is ready to provide services to ships. They are preparing documents required to provide services for international and domestic vessels."
When the new port is opened, 2,500 tons of quality rice harvested from Rakhine State will be exported from the port.
Paletwa port.
Merchants in Rakhine State said that the new port could be opened in January.
The project includes upgrading the Sittwe port, dredging the Kaladan River for international ships and construction of a highway from Paletwa in Chin State to Mizoram State in India.
Goods from India will be transported from Sittwe to Paletwa via waterway and products from Myanmar will also be exported to Mizoram State via Paletwa, according to merchants.
When the new port is opened, Myanmar merchants will be able to export goods to India and trade will be facilitated, Rakhine Merchant U Than Naing told the CNI.
People travelling along the Kaladan River.
He said, "The port mainly connects Sittwe and Calcutta in India. It will bring benefits for merchants in Rakhine and Myanmar. It takes at least a week to transport goods from Yangon to India. If we transport goods from Sittwe to India, it will take only one to two days. Goods will arrive in India quickly and can be distributed in the market. Trade is facilitated. We can also import products like construction materials. India is a powerful country politically and economically. We are looking forward to the opening of the port. Authorities often said that they would open the port soon but it has not happened so far. So, we don't know what to do.
Merchants and entrepreneurs are also discussing with Indian authorities to operate ships between the port and those in India weekly or monthly, according to the Rakhine State Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The MOU for the project was signed between the two countries in 2008 and implementation started in September 2010.
India invested US$ 484 million for the project.
