Hsu/Pearl (NP News) - Oct 30
Roughly 1,400 South Korean Cutting, Making, and Packing (CMP) factories have expressed interest in investing in the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a source close to the project told NP News.
The Dawei SEZ, located near Dawei in the Tanintharyi Region, is currently being developed in partnership with Russia. Initial preparations are reportedly underway to build a 660-megawatt coal-fired power plant within the zone.
“Russia has three main projects. The first is a coal-fired power plant with a total capacity of 660 megawatts; the first phase, with a capacity of 220 megawatts, is currently being developed. Surveys are underway and work is already moving forward. The other two projects are a deep-sea port and a refinery. These are the three main projects. Other projects will be open to international investment. The SEZ will be developed one way or another,” the source told NP News..
The source indicated that implementation of the Dawei SEZ would proceed as planned, noting that approximately 1,400 South Korean CMP factories have expressed interest in establishing operations in the zone.
“Around 1,400 South Korean companies are interested in establishing garment factories here. Most of these would operate as CMP (cut, make and pack) factories and are prepared to invest if approval is granted. As this is a free zone, investors can benefit from a range of incentives and advantages,” the source said.
Some Thai factories are also reportedly interested in relocating their operations to the Dawei SEZ.
“Some Thai companies are also interested in relocating their operations here. Even the Thilawa SEZ has certain restrictions, including those related to ships docking at the port,” the source said.
The Dawei SEZ covers an area of 20,000 hectares. Upon full implementation, the project is expected to become the largest special economic zone in Southeast Asia.
The proposed SEZ includes a deep-sea port, an industrial zone, and a 105-mile, eight-lane highway connecting Dawei to Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Plans also incorporate a railway, power lines, oil and gas pipelines, and cross-border infrastructure.
Feasibility studies on the deep-sea port project were carried out by Thai experts in 2005, followed by a June 12, 2008 memorandum of understanding between Thailand’s Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited and the Myanmar government. However, after years of minimal progress, Myanmar is now partnering with Russia to revive the Dawei SEZ project. –
