Gamechanger for regional connectivity & trade as first Indian cargo ship docks at Myanmar's Sittwe Port

The Sittwe Port in Myanmar's Rakhine State was inaugurated on Tuesday (May 9, 2023) with the arrival of the first Indian cargo that was flagged off from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata last week.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal received the ship in the presence of Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister, and Union Minister for Transport & Communications Admiral Tin Aung San.

The Sittwe Port is set 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 & seamless connectivity between India, Myanmar and beyond.

Sittwe Port is part of the USD484 million Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) being constructed with Indian grant funding under the Act East initiative. When fully operational, the KMTTP's canal and road components will use the Sittwe Port to connect the North-Eastern states with India's east coast.

"The seaport with Max capacity of 20,000 DWT will make Sittwe the maritime hub of Myanmar, drastically reduce transportation cost of cargo from other parts of India to our #NorthEast and open unprecedented avenues of economic growth in the region," Union Minister Sonowal tweeted.

KMTTP comprises 4 sections: from India to Sittwe Port via maritime shipping, from Sittwe to Paletwa via inland waterway on Kaladan river, from Paletwa to the Indo-Myanmar border in Mizoram by road & from the India-Myanmar border to National Highways (NH) via road. Once fully operationalised, it will provide an alternate route of cargo movement to the North-Eastern region.

Union Minister Sonowal also highlighted the importance of the project through a separate thread on Twitter.

"The Sittwe Port and the KMTTP are important projects for us as they will help the #NorthEast become the Gateway to #SEAsia, while delivering large scale benefits to the people of Myanmar," he wrote.

"A vibrant Sittwe Port can catapult Myanmar's Rakhine State into a major connectivity hub. It can fuel productive inland waterway traffic boosting tourism, agriculture & manufacturing along the Kaladan river and generating economic dividends for the nation and the wider region," he explained.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, the Union Minister emphasized the deep historical, cultural, and economic linkages that exist between India and Myanmar, particularly the Rakhine State of Myanmar. He reaffirmed India's long-standing commitment to the welfare and development of the people of Myanmar via projects like the Sittwe Port.

As per the official press release from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, this Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project was designed to offer Mizoram an alternate means of connecting with Haldia, Kolkata, or any other Indian port via the Kaladan River in Myanmar.

Importantly, Sittwe Port's opening will boost cross-border and regional commerce while also strengthening the local economy in Myanmar's Rakhine State. The Port's improved connection will increase the region's economic potential and create job opportunities.