The Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems and Japan International Cooperation Agency signed an agreement worth 6,033 million yen in grant aid for a Mandalay port construction project on Wednesday.

The agreement signing ceremony was attended by Director General Tun Lwin Oo and officials from the directorate and JICA officials.

The Mandalay port construction project will be implemented this month under the programme. Plans are also underway to pay land compensations. The port project area will cover area from Shwe Hlan Bo Monastery between Amarapura and Mahaaungmyay townships to the bank of the Ayeyawady River.

The project will include construction of a 300 foot-long three-land approach road, a 180-metre-long jetty, a container yard, warehouses and port offices and installation of machinery and equipment for handling of goods.

The Mandalay port project is aimed at shipping goods from Yangon to Mandalay and then to upper Myanmar.

"We are implementing this port project to be able to transport goods from Yangon to Mandalay and then to upper Myanmar. Later, our department will install necessary equipment in the river so that container ships can go from Yangon to Mandalay around the clock," said Aung Myo Khaing, director of the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems.