Japan government agreed to lend over US$ 800 million for Dawei Special Economic Zone through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

The Japanese Government is planning to provide assistance for Dawei Special Economic Zone through The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), according to Mr. Masayuk KARASAWA, JICA’s Country Representative to Myanmar.

He said so in his remarks at the ground breaking ceremony for the JFE MERANTI Myanmar plant held on March 1 in Thilawa SEZ Zone (B).

Seeing the success in Thilawa Special Economic Zone, Tanintharyi Regional Government is working on strategy for the region’s development plan, and he said that Japan will get involved in the SEZ depending on Myanmar’s government policy.

“We are helping laying out a development plan, and also conduct surveys of what would be needed such as a port or electricity. The Myanmar government will consider what it should do based on the survey. We will get involved in the SEZ depending on how the development plan will be carried out,’’ Mr. Masayuki KARASAWA added.

The Dawei SEZ will be implemented in two phases. Phase one includes small projects that will be implemented by an Italian-Thai Company, U Set Aung, Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance, said.

‘‘Phase 2 has large projects, so we will bring in international technicians,’’ he said.

Myanmar and Thailand signed the agreement for the Dawei SEZ in 2008. Max Myanmar and Italian-Thai formed a company named Dawei Development Company, of which 25 percent is owned by Max Myanmar.

The project was halted in 2013 because of a funding shortfall. However in July 2015, Myanmar, Thailand and Japan restarted talks for the SEZ, and Japan agreed to lend over $800 million.

The Dawei SEZ will be implemented in a 250 square kilometer area in Yayphyu Township, Dawei District, Tanintharyi Region. It’s 132 kilometers away from the Thailand border, 300 kilometers away from Bangkok, and 450 kilometers away from Thailand’s North-East beach.

(Myanmar Business Today: https://www.mmbiztoday.com/articles/jica-provide-800-million-dawei-sez )

​