Union-level MSME Product Exhibition and Competition aim to produce value-added products at home as import-substitute goods and penetrate foreign markets.

A CEREMONY to open the Un­ion-level MSME Product Exhibi­tion and Competition took place at Tabaung Ground near the Uppatasanti Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morn­ing, attended by Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Chairman of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Work Committee SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Union Ministers U Win Shein, U Min Naung. U Hla Moe, Dr Charlie Than, Dr Myo Thein Kyaw and Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman U Than Tun Oo cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the expo.

The Senior General pressed the but­ton to inaugurate the expo.

At the opening ceremony, the Sen­ior General and attendees enjoyed the dance performances of traditional cultur­al troupes with the song in honour of the opening of the expo in commem­oration of the 78^th Anniversary of Union Day.

The Senior General and his entourage interestingly visit­ed the ministerial booths, and MSME booths of regions and states and asked about matters related to products, discussed work process of relevant prod­ucts, use of raw materials, man­ufacturing of products, market shares at home and abroad, re­quirements of workplaces, and potentials to extend distribution of products domestically and internationally and fulfilled the needs.

In the afternoon, the Senior General viewed round MSME products at the booths of Man­dalay Region, Ministry of Infor­mation, Business Matching Hall, Myanmar Banks Association, Digital Corner, Myanmar Eco­nomic Holding Public Company Limited, Myanmar Economic Corporation, Republic of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Myanmar Traditional Medicine Producers and Medi­cal Entrepreneurs Association and Myanmar Oil Millers Associ­ation and asked about production, supply of raw materials, grasp­ing foreign market shars, more distribution of products at home and abroad, and gave guidance. They rode buggies to view round products displayed by small-scale industries and manufacturing co­operative societies.

Also present at the ceremo­ny were Daw Than Than Nwe, wife of the Vice-Senior General, Council Joint Secretary General Ye Win Oo, council members and their wives, Union ministers and their wives, Union-level dignitar­ies and their wives, chief minis­ters of regions and states and their wives, senior Tatmadaw of­ficers from the Office of the Com­mander-in-Chief and their wives, deputy ministers and officials.

The expo will last for five days from 10 to 14 February, at Tabaung Ground, south of Up­patasanti Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw. The expo aims to develop cooper­ation among MSMEs in regions and states to fulfil requirements for each other in the production chain and analyze strong and weak points, to help businessper­sons seek the significant points for manufacturing better qual­ity products at fair prices than others, to encourage successful implementation of the One Re­gion One Product scheme, to con­tinuously enhance products and services of MSMEs, to produce value-added products at home as import-substitute goods and penetrate foreign markets, to fur­ther cooperate between MSMEs and local and foreign investors, to honour model product awards to MSMEs and contribute to long-standing of MSME.

The expo features product sales at 96 booths of ministries, regions and states, traditional food stalls of ethnic people, busi­ness matching process, techno­logical booths, foreign machinery and products, small-scale indus­tries and manufacturing cooper­ative societies.

Plans are underway to pres­ent digital trophies, certificates of appreciation and cash awards for products to winners in 31 genres in the product competition. Cash award winners can take cash from e-banking through the digi­tal payment system. — MNA/TTA