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Yangon, 22 April-Industrial Development Committee held its meeting 1/2003 at the training hall of the Ministry of Industry-1 on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road here this afternoon, with an address by Chairman of IDC Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Soe Win.

Also present on the occasion were members of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Ye Myint, Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than, Lt-Gen Aung Htwe, Lt-Gen Maung Bo of the Ministry of Defence, Quartermaster-General Lt-Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo and Lt-Gen Tin Aye of the Ministry of Defence, the ministers, the Yangon Mayor, the Mandalay Mayor and guests.

In his address, Chairman of IDC Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Soe Win said that in view of development of Myanma industrial sector, Head of State Senior General Than Shwe has given guidance calling for officials concerned to make efforts with added momentum for development of Myanma Industrial Sector after combining the ministries in which mills, factories and industries are included in Industries Development Committee with the sponsorship of the Government.

Combining efficiency of the State-owned factories and mills, and production ability of the industrial zones, efforts are to be made for boosting production of new products and valuable products for import-substitute and boosting of exports; to link up the State-owned industries and the private industries, and to combine them for mutual assistance, he noted.

On his inspection tour of Myanma Industrial Exhibition (2003), the Head of State, he said, has also given guidance calling for production of industrial products qualitatively and quantitatively at a low cost with the effective use of high technology and modern machines. People are to make strenuous efforts in building an industrialized nation, the Government, on its part, will fulfil necessary assistance. To ensure development of the industrial zones, the industrial production process is to be gradually upgraded from the use of manpower to mechanical power phase by phase after observation and assessment of mode of production, he pointed out.

The industrial sector plays a key role in development of the national economy. Thus, efforts will have to be made to upgrade import-substitute industries into heavy industries and heavy chemistry industries under the leadership of the Government, and emphasis is to be placed on combination of productive forces and human resources of the ministries and private industries for the emergence of the electronic industries according to the 30 year-plan, he added.

He stressed the need for officials concerned to make concerted efforts to create industrial infrastructure, technical know-how and skill and investments; to develop research and use new technical know-how for innovation and to nurture human resources for management of mills and factories.

In the industrial exhibition 2003, changes and developments in the industrial sector were witnessed, especially, progress has been made in the production of automobile, transformer, power generator, small hydel power engine, electronic and electronic control pannel. The industrial zones are the prerequisites for development of the industrial sector, and efforts will have to be made to upgrade the industrial production process from the use of manpower to mechanical power and from mechanical power to computer-controlled machines phase by phase, he stressed.

If the GDP participation ratio of the three major sectors-the agriculture sector, the industrial sector and the service sector-is studied, it will be found that in 2001, China is the highest in the industrial sector representing 64.6 % whereas Bangladesh was the second lowest representing 26.2 %. Vietnam, one of the leading rice exporting countries in the world, has 22.7 % of agriculture sector and 36.9 % in industrial sector in its GDP while Myanmar has 56% in agriculture sector and 10.5 % in industrial sector in its GDP.

He called on the ministries, the related departments and the cooperative and private industries which play a crucial role in boosting of the ratio of the industrial sector in GDP are to make collective efforts for successful implementation of the national objectives.

Efforts are also to be made for enhancing the efficiency of the State-owned economic organizations that play an important role in industrial development, boosting the production and producing the industrial products qualitatively and quantitatively at less expenses.

Observation and assessment is to be made on efficiencies of economic organizations and remedial measures are to be taken for the industrial development. In addition, field trips are to be conducted right down to mills and factories to know the production capability of respective factories and mills and to review and combine them with the requirements of other factories and mills.

He continued to say that accurate and correct data are required for the industrial development. In this connection, correct data must be collected on machinery, production strength, install capacity and current production of each factory, he said. Similar data should also be collected for industrial zones and private firms, he said. In this way, advantages and disadvantages of industries be scrutinised and co-ordinated for boosting their production, he pointed out.

He also urged the personnel concerned to make efforts for promoting the production strength of industries and to calculate the prospect and ratio of the industrial sector in the GDP by considering the strength of industries on the run and those which have been built and soon to be run. In conclusion he said that according to the 30-year industrial development plan, the ratio of the industrial sector in the GDP is targeted to be 20 per cent in the first five years and 37 per cent in the sixth five years. He called for collective coronations between the state-owned, cooperative and private sectors to meet the targets.

Then, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development U Soe Tha reported on the industrial sector in GDP. Next, Secretary of Industrial Development Committee Minister for Industry-1 U Aung Thaung reported on matters related to industrial development and formation of Industrial Development Committee, Myanma Industrial Development Committee, Myanma Industrial Development Work Committee and the sub-committees.

Then, Secretary of MIDC Deputy Minister for Industry-1 Brig-Gen Kyaw Win reported on work carried out by MIDC and Chairman of MIDWC Minister for Industry-2 Maj-Gen Saw Lwin on work carried by MIDWC. This was followed by a general round of discussions.
The meeting ended in the evening with the concluding remarks by Chairman of IDC Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Soe Win.