Merchants, cargo shippers hope to gain access to India-funded Sittwe Port

By Admin 19 Jul 2023

DMG Newsroom
19 July 2023, Sittwe

Merchants and coaster owners hope to have access to the India-funded Sittwe Port, which was opened on May 9 as part of the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project.

Currently coasters have to use Sittwe Port and Shwe Min Gan Port, operated by Myanma Port Authority. Due to delays in the loading and unloading of cargo at those ports, some coaster owners have built their own jetties in Set Yoe Kya Creek.

“We have asked [authorities] to allow domestic ships to use the port. The Indian side said it would allow us. We made the request months ago. So far, we still do not have access to [India-funded] Sittwe Port,” chairman U Shwe Maung of the Arakan State Coastal Ship Owners told DMG.

The association requested access to the port during a meeting between Indian and Myanmar authorities on May 9, when Sittwe Port was opened.

If coastal ships have access to the new Sittwe Port, it will facilitate trade flows and help bring down commodity prices, according to merchants.

The new port is operated by India’s A to Z Exim Limited Co, and only ships carrying relief supplies for victims of Cyclone Mocha have used the port since it was opened in May.

“So far, the port has only been used by the regime to transport relief supplies. Other ships have not docked. Merchants and people hope to have access to the port,” said a Sittwe Port official.

A to Z Co is under the supervision of the Myanmar Port Authority, and is required to report to the authority about the ships and cargo it is handling.

Local residents can benefit from the port as it will allow them to better trade with overseas markets, said U Tha Tun Hla of the Arakan National Party.

“Local business owners should find new business opportunities out of the port. Concerned authorities should also create an environment that enables local traders to engage in international trade,” said U Tha Tun Hla.

DMG phone calls to Arakan State Administration Council spokesman U Hla Thein to ask about requests for allowing domestic ships to use Sittwe Port went unanswered.

Sittwe Port can handle international ships weighing 5,000 to 6,000 tonnes.

The Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project will provide an alternative route for connectivity from India’s eastern coast to the northeastern states through the Sittwe port. The port links to Paletwa in Myanmar via an inland waterway and from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram via a road segment.