YANGON-With the aim to reduce the unemployment rate of 1,500 workers from 11 garment factories in Myanmar, a cargo plane carrying 15 tons of raw materials landed at the Yangon International Airport from Guangzhou city of southern China yesterday at night.

“We imported raw materials from China for 11 local garment factories aiming to diminish the impacts on the garment industry. Now, the cargo plane arrives in Yangon. The factories will be operating before the Thingyan water festival. Surely, 11 factories aren’t shut down and garment factory workers didn’t get fired from their jobs,” said Sandar Min, Chairman of Finance, Planning and Economic Committee from the Yangon Parliament.

“Factory owners must import raw materials by themselves. If there will be a delay in making Customs clearance, we are going to ease access for taking the materials. We also help not only the garment industry but also CMP and small-scale business,” said Sandar Min.

It is the first import of raw materials from China by air aiming not to become jobless at the 11 garment factories.

“Those 11 factories were running. However, they faced difficulty due to a shortage of raw materials. Now, the raw materials are imported from China by air. So, the factories will be running as well as factory workers will be convenient,” said San Khun from Chairman of Chinese Textile and Garment Association in Myanmar.

The raw materials will be stored at the warehouses and then the materials will be sent to the factories within a few days after spraying with insecticide.

Chinese Chamber of Commerce Association in Myanmar is now finding ways for raw material shortages and they informed the Yangon Region Government Committee to help the necessary concerning imported raw materials.

That’s why the Yangon Region Government Committee negotiated with the Customs Department for taking the imported raw materials.

There are over 400 garment factories in Yangon, creating around 500,000 jobs.