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MADE in Myanmar Project Launches Myanmar Garment Industry Forum 2024: World Bank Economist Highlights Challenges and Growth Potential

On 17th January 2023, together with our partners under the MADE in Myanmar Project, we kicked off the Myanmar Garment Industry Forum 2024: a two-day conference, bringing together representatives of international garment brands, factory representatives, labour rights organisations, social partners, logistics organisations and foreign embassies. 
 
The event serves as a forum for various stakeholders to exchange their views on the current state of the garment industry in Myanmar and share practices for tackling aspects related to workplace dialogue, complaint handling, remuneration and more. 
 
On the first day of the forum, we were joined by Mr. Kemoh Manseray, Senior Economist at The World Bank Myanmar, who delivered a comprehensive presentation on Myanmar’s garment sector. 
 
These World Bank findings emphasized that the sector has seen a shift towards temporary and seasonal workers, while infrastructure constraints, including frequent power outages and limited access to electricity, hinder the sector’s ability to upgrade its operating model. Import license challenges further complicate matters. On a positive note, the industry boasts a workforce composition with over 80 per cent female managers. Moreover, as per The World Bank, on average, factories supplying brands exporting to the European markets report higher wages to their workers. 
 
The World Bank presentation also highlighted the resilience and growth potential of the Myanmar Garment Sector. Despite facing challenges, the sector remains a crucial player in the global market, with opportunities for improvement. 
 
To further explore his presentation on the Myanmar Garment Industry in 2023, please read Link