September 27, 2018
Over the weekend, NYDC organised a special Roundtable meeting with members of the Myanmar Engineering Council, Myanmar Engineering Society, Myanmar Architect Council, the Association of Myanmar Architects and various other learned stakeholders at the function hall of the MES. Our Planning and Development Head Ms. Alicia Aye Aye Khine explained the salient points of the New Yangon City Socio-Economic Master Plan (SEMP) subsequent to which I chaired the Questions & Answers Session.
Continuous Engagement
We are grateful that many members of these professional societies rendered their valuable suggestions and made important comments regarding the planning of the New City. The purpose of the meeting was to listen to such advice as well as answer any questions the attendees may have. In that regard, I feel we had attained our objective and will enable us to proceed with a extra degree of confidence in the planning of our new city’s Master Plan.
As we progress with the formulation of the Master Plan, we do intend to continue with future Town Hall Meetings and Roundtable Discussions with experts, stakeholders and the public at large. We consider this to be an important part of our undertaking so as to ensure that, to the best of our ability, we will have a Productive City and a Liveable City emerge on the western banks of the Yangon River.
Challenging But Attainable Goal
The aspiration of New Yangon is to be Yangon’s job creation engine of the future, eventually creating two million jobs. This is a challenging goal but not an unattainable one. It will require monumental efforts from all quarters. Firstly, from the government to formulate the right policies to create the conducive climate to attract the job creators. Secondly, from the city planners and executioners to develop the required infrastructure and supporting services to enable the job creators to operate efficiently. Thirdly, from the investors who would elect to have faith in our future and invest the necessary funds to make it a reality, and last but not the least, from the public and population at large to render their support and help. With the collective efforts from all these quarters, I am confident that our aspirations will be fulfilled.
The “3+4+5” sector strategy
In our Socio-Economic Master Plan (SEMP) report — there are 12 sectors which have been prioritized to ensure a balanced and competitive economy can be achieved. This follows a “3+4+5” sector strategy.
- 3 labour-intensive manufacturing sectors in the short-term that will generate significant employment – garments, food processing, and furniture and other durables.
- 4 value- building manufacturing sectors in the long term, which can provide higher-skilled jobs – chemicals and pharmaceuticals, automotive, electrical and electronics and metal and mineral products.
- 5 enabler sectors to support development of industrial sectors and attract residents – education and healthcare, wholesale and retail trade, construction and real estate, logistics and financial services.
The New Yangon is not looking to replace existing Yangon but rather to make it more vibrant and successful so that it can maintain its important role as the economic capital of the nation. Existing Yangon needs significant investments in infrastructure and restructuring of its urban facilities to cope with the increase in population and resultant demands. However, what New Yangon will provide in job opportunities and a well-planned 21st century city cannot be easily achieved in existing Yangon. As a greenfield city, New Yangon enjoys the benefits of being able to learn from the experiences of other cities and “leapfrog” into the future without repeating the mistakes of the past.
I am confident that with the collaborative efforts of the private and public sector we will have a chance to provide the best we can for the future generation of Myanmar.
Regards,
Serge Pun