India and Myanmar took a significant step towards promoting trade connectivity as the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Myanmar’s Deputy Prime Minister, Admiral Tin Aung San, jointly inaugurated the Sittwe Port in Myanmar on Tuesday. The ceremony also saw the first Indian cargo ship being received at the port.
According to an official statement, the cargo ship was flagged off from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata. The development of Sittwe Port is expected to reduce the cost and time of transportation of goods between Kolkata and Agartala and Aizwal by 50 per cent. Sonowal emphasised that this development would promote trade connectivity and people-to-people ties between India, Myanmar, and the wider region, and would help boost the economic development of North Eastern states under the Act East Policy of the government.
The Sittwe Port is expected to be a gamechanger for maritime connectivity and trade in the region. The operationalisation of this port is a major step towards sustainable, environment-friendly, and seamless connectivity between India, Myanmar, and beyond, said the Union Minister. He also highlighted the close historical, cultural, and economic ties between India and Myanmar, particularly the Rakhine State of Myanmar.
The Sittwe Port has been developed as part of the USD 484 million Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) funded under grant-in-aid assistance from the Indian government. The project envisages highway/road transport from Mizoram to Paletwa (Myanmar), thereafter from Paletwa to Sittwe (Myanmar) by Inland Water Transport (IWT), and from Sittwe to any port in India by maritime shipping, the statement added.
Once fully operationalised, the waterway and road components of KMTTP will link the east coast of India to the northeastern states through the Sittwe port, the statement said. The greater connectivity provided by the port will lead to employment opportunities and enhanced growth prospects in the region, it added.
The operationalisation of Sittwe Port would enhance bilateral and regional trade, as well as contribute to the local economy of the Rakhine State of Myanmar. The seaport, with a maximum capacity of 20,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT), will make Sittwe the maritime hub of Myanmar, drastically reducing the transportation cost of cargo from other parts of India to the North East and opening unprecedented avenues of economic growth in the region, Sonowal said in a series of tweets.
A vibrant Sittwe Port can catapult Myanmar’s Rakhine State into a major connectivity hub, he said. It can fuel productive inland waterway traffic, boosting tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing along the Kaladan river, generating economic dividends for the nation and the wider region.
The development of the Sittwe Port is expected to have a positive impact on the region and will enhance India’s connectivity with Southeast Asia. The operationalisation of this port will be a key component in facilitating the regional integration of India’s northeastern states with the rest of the country, as well as with other countries in the region.
