Mon State government has designated the locations to construct one new international airport near Kawparan village of Mudon Township and one new international port terminal between Balauk Nyaung Waing and Wekali villages in Mawlamyine District.
“During the visit of the SAC Chairman on June 1, he instructed officials to construct a new international airport in Mon State and create a port city as it is located near the sea. The main point is to develop the region’s economy. Therefore, we find the proper location for an airport and conduct a feasibility study. We will also conduct the feasibility study to turn Mawlamyine into a seaport,” said an official.
The international airport and port terminal projects will be implemented on approximately 4,600 acres of land, the state government said. When the two projects are completed, it will develop the local tourism industry and economy and create job opportunities for Mon State.
This project, if actually materialises, would bring a much needed boost to Mawlamyine economy. It was one of the top cities during its hay days of the late 1980s, where the unlicensed cross border shipment of consumer goods from Thailand to Yangon made the traders from the city very prosperous. Since the opening of the highway from Myawaddy to Hpa Ann, Mawlamyine has been bypassed and its economy has contracted year after year.
Consumer purchasing power simply do not exist. Restaurants with stunning Thanlwin river views are mostly empty. Many restaurant chains such as YKKO have tried to open branches in Mawlamyine and have since closed down. Talk of the town is such that there are only two types of jobs available in Mawlamyine, one selling illegal lotteries and the other sale and transport of drugs!
