Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win addresses work coordination meeting to organize a union-level MSME products fair and competition
NAY PYI TAW February 5
A work coordination meeting to organize a union-level MSME products fair and competition was held at Taboung grounds, Uppatasanti Pagoda here this afternoon, addressed by Chairman of MSME Development Work Committee Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Planning and Finance U Win Shein, Union Minister for Industry U Charlie Than, Nay Pyi Taw Council Chair U Than Tun Oo, deputy ministers, who are subcommittee chairs, agency chairs from Nay Pyi Taw Council and regions and states, officials of associations, exhibition in-charges, heads of department and officials.
The Vice-Senior General said the aims and objectives of the fair and competition have already been set.
In carrying out the functions from the time the work committee was formed till now, advantages and disadvantages, and requirements in work connections and experience sharing between the relevant ministries and regions and states and among the regions and states have been exposed according to the finds during the inspection tours of the Head of State and dignitaries.
Because of the separation of the functions, weakness can be found in coordination and reforms.
Ministry-wise supports including technological aids are posted on web portals, but they still fail to provide wider knowledge to entrepreneurs.
Although region/state-wise MSME products fairs are organized in combination, the union level region/state-wise fair and competition will enable entrepreneurs to notice and compare the differences in prices, quality,
packing system, techniques exportability of their products and make reforms and innovations accordingly.
Every business needs competition for its development.
Regions and states will be able to make necessary changes after comparing the quality, taste, packing system of the goods of the same type.
MSMEs will have the opportunity to make a comparison of the multiple products in a single place and share experiences.
MSME products should be exported, apart from local distribution.
But entrepreneurs need knowledge of the export markets, paper works and technological requirements for smoother running of their business functions. Thanks to the union-level fair and competition, export-substitute goods from region/state MSMEs will be available for the public. Moreover, it will provide MSMEs with the knowledge of the procedures to connect the relevant ministries for acquiring techniques and date, certificates and references.
Furthermore, the agency chairpersons attending this meeting should inform business owners in advance about the processes, information, and technologies that their ministries can provide in relation to MSME businesses, rather than simply displaying their products as was done in previous MSME exhibitions.
The exhibitions and competitions will also facilitate connections with civil society organizations driving the economy, as well as banks capable of addressing the financial needs of business owners.
These details align with the objective of the Head of State’s Union-level MSME product exhibitions and competitions.
Among the presentations made during meetings with MSME business owners, attended by officials including the Head of State, the primary issues discussed were access to capital, land, and electricity.
Regarding capital, the MSME Business Committee has offered maximum flexibility to business owners in accessing loans. Regarding land acquisition, officials from the working committee are overseeing the necessary arrangements.
Regarding the issue of electricity access, a primary concern for MSME business owners, the nation’s electricity production has surpassed 6,300 megawatts. However, some factories have been shut down for various reasons, and production has been halted due to incidents of violence.
The Ministry of Electricity is working diligently to ensure a rotational power supply, based on the available generation capacity. He emphasized the importance of educating factories and workshops to address the ongoing electricity shortage.
At present, six companies within the Thilawa Industrial Zone are generating over 4.9 megawatts of electricity through solar power systems. This production has enabled a broader range of business activities to be conducted.
Using this initiative as a model, other companies are planning to generate and utilize more than 8 megawatts of power.
By adopting this approach, each owner will be able to utilize the electricity for their own operations and sell any excess power to the national grid.
The cost of installing a solar system is expected to be recovered within a few years. For example, the 20-megawatt solar power system at the Commander-in-Chief’s Office was installed and became operational about two years ago, and the cost will be recovered within the next year and a half.
Therefore, MSME business owners should aim to secure an electricity supply through solar systems by utilizing vacant land in industrial zones and other available areas in the respective regions and states. By doing so, they will be able to overcome the challenge of insufficient electricity in industrial zones.
The state is also carrying out projects in other states and regions to generate over 1,000 megawatts of hybrid power, combining natural gas and solar power. With electricity generated being distributed nationwide, power will be allocated in proportion.
If each business operates its own solar power system, operations will be more efficient. As such, further discussions and implementation are crucial.
Therefore, agency chairmen from states and regions who are attending the meeting are urged to meet entrepreneurs in respective states and regions and explain how to successfully operate MSMEs by generating electricity from solar energy.
As MSMEs can greatly contribute to the development of the country, the upcoming exhibition and competition will be held on a grand scale under ambitious objectives.
MSMEs can greatly contribute to the national objective of ensuring prosperity and food security of the nation through the MSME product exhibition and competition.
MSME entrepreneurs are required to manufacture one product in one area and exert efforts not only for domestic consumption but also for exports.
Since the formation of the MSME working committee, progress has been made but it is necessary to boost production for exports.
Then, Union Minister Dr Charlie Than reported to the Vice-Senior General on the agenda of the opening ceremony of the MSME product exhibition and competition, arrangements for exhibition booths of states and regions including Nay Pyi Taw, kinds of products to be displayed, types of competitions and plans for prizes to be presented.
Afterward, chairman of the working committee Deputy Minister for Industry U Yin Maung Nyunt reported to the Vice-Senior General on formation of sub-committees and arrangements for organizing the union-level MSME product exhibition and competition.
Then, chairmen of sub-committees for security, invitation, accommodation and catering, archway and booth construction, booth location and exhibition,
holding opening ceremony, prize presentation and entertainment, judging and prize presentation, linking businesses and businesses (B2B), administrative affairs, electricity supply, information and financial affairs and agency chairmen for states and chairman reported to the Vice-Senior General on completion of tasks, preparations for exhibition booths of respective states and regions, products to be displayed, local tradition food to be sold in traditional food stalls and preparations for participation in the competition.
Then, attendees reported to the Vice-Senior General on preparations for successfully organizing the MSME product fair and competition for respective sectors and the Vice-Senior General coordinated the necessary measures and made concluding remarks before the meeting came to a close.
After the meeting, the Vice-Senior General and party inspected the preparations for booths of ministries, states and regions, ethnic traditional food stalls, links between businesses and businesses (B2B) and completion of booths for MSMEs and manufacturing cooperatives.