Plans are being considered to use water transport across the country after the experiences of Yangon Region and other port towns show that moving goods by water is cost-effective, said Yangon Region chief minister Phyo Min Thein.
“Our country is blessed with rivers. But we are weak in using those river routes,” he said. Commodities flow mostly via road transport, he noted.
The chief minister recently raised the issue of water transport at a coordination meeting called to discuss Yangon city development.
Logistic prices would decrease if vessels from Inland Water Transport could provide a better service, he said.
A feasibility study is underway to move Yangon Port to the mouth of the sea so that ocean-going vessels could enter, he noted.
Myanmar has only a limited number of natural resources that can be sold as commodities, said Phyo Min Thein. But “there is a ray of hope for us – several landlocked provinces in China share borders with our country.”
If Myanmar could find a way of quickly moving goods to the sea from the borders with landlocked provinces of China, commodity flows from China could increase and help pay the cost of upgrading ports
“Then our ports would develop,” he said.
But without a steady flow of commodities, a port would not have the revenue flow to cover handling expenses.
“Thilawa Port had to struggle for a certain period,” said the chief minister. “If we want to build a new port, we have to consider if large vessels can be moored. Another thing is the choice of a site that is resistant to natural disasters.”
Source: Eleven Myanmar
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