Problems with Myanmar’s ports were outlined at the 14th ASEAN Ports and Shipping Conference in Bangkok.
“We have a lot of challenges,” Mr Ni Aung, general manager of the Myanmar Port Authority admitted.
A key problem is access. Myanmar’s ports are, he explained, “very far from the city districts, very far from Yangon”. It is the first time a Myanmar official has publicly noted the issue.
Myanmar is the inverse of Thailand where the big ports are close to the urban areas, he added.
Complicating matters, Ni Aung also outlined problems with the capital’s ports, Yangon and Thilawa.
One constraint is “a very limited draft” which he put at a maximum of 9 metres.
The second constraint is the presence of two bars in the waters around the capital. The inner bar is very close to Yangon city centre which limits the effectiveness of Yangon while the outer bar at the mouth of the Andaman Sea restricts vessel movements to both ports.
Source: Port Strategy
