Recycled paper turned into raw tissue at Sittwe factory

By DMG 29 Sep 2022

DMG Newsroom
29 September 2022, Sittwe

The reproduction of used paper into raw tissue is taking place in Mingan Ward of the Arakan State capital Sittwe.

The raw tissue is produced by the Lucky 7 tissue factory, which is jointly run by seven young businessmen from Arakan State.

Used paper and old books from primary schools, photocopy shops, dispatch units and universities are mainly used as raw material to produce the tissue, said Ko Kyaw Min Tun, a member of the board of directors of the Lucky 7 tissue factory.

“There are people who used to buy blank books and old newspapers for paper-related raw materials in Arakan State. I heard that there were paper factories when we were young. Since tissue is something that everyone uses, Arakan State should have a factory like this to produce raw tissue,” he told DMG.

Construction of the raw tissue factory started in 2018, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic and problems transporting the necessary equipment to the site, the building of the factory suffered delays.

“There are many difficulties when setting up a factory. Around 2018, when the factory was established, the Covid-19 pandemic began. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, it was not convenient to hire mechanics while the factory buildings were under construction. There was also difficulty installing the machines,” he added.

U Khin Maung Gyi, a veteran Arakaneses businessman, said the emergence of food and industrial equipment manufacturing factories in Arakan State meant money that would otherwise leave the state circulating only in Arakan State, as well as providing many employment opportunities.

“Young people who are interested in such businesses have the necessary knowledge and technology. However, there is still a lot of need in Arakan State in terms of creating [human] capital among young people,” he added. “In other words, if we do such business, we have to rely on the government for capital. If we reach the stage where we can start working with private funds, we see that there will be many economic opportunities in terms of both marine products and agricultural products in Arakan State.”

Because there are few factories capable of producing local products in Arakan State, local businesspeople have suggested that the government should provide support for the regular supply of electricity in areas where factories are sited to improve the efficiency of currently operating facilities.