Myanmar

Linking support for agribusiness and digital technologies sectors

The Netherlands Trust Fund IV (NTF IV) - Export Sector Competitiveness Programme was based on a partnership agreement between the Dutch Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI), affiliated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the International Trade Centre. The agreement was signed in September 2017, and ran to end June 2021. NTF IV built on the successful cooperation between ITC and CBI. This cooperation has been embodied in a series of programmes called Netherlands Trust Fund I, which ended in 2009, the Netherlands Trust Fund II, which ended in June 2013, and the Netherlands Trust Fund III, which ended in June 2017.

NTF IV aimed to enhance export competitiveness of certain sectors in selected countries through an integrated approach to competitiveness built around one outcome – generation of export revenues.

ITC implemented NTF IV through four individual country/sector projects linked to joint advocacy at the global level, especially on women. CBI and ITC selected the four country/sector combinations building on jointly defined criteria including country requests, market demand, CBI/ITC and Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs priorities, and feedback from Dutch Embassies and other donors on how Netherlands assistance can best be prioritized within the comparative advantages of ITC and CBI.

<p><strong>ARISE Plus Myanmar&nbsp;</strong><strong>&nbsp;</strong>The ARISE Plus Myanmar Trade-Related Assistance Project aims to contribute to inclusive and sustainable growth. It supports greater connectivity and economic integration between Myanmar and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in line with the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025. The project contributes to trade diversification and integration, regionally and internationally with a focus on market-led value chains.</p>

<p>The project builds on the results of &ldquo;NTF III Myanmar - Inclusive Tourism focusing on Kayah state&rdquo; by expanding tourism product development to an additional state of Myanmar (Thanintharyi) and further consolidating the achieved results at national and Kayah state level. The same successful value chain approach, from tourism product and service development over association strengthening and destination branding to market linkages will be adopted.&nbsp;</p><p>In Kayah state, the tourism products &amp; services developed under NTF III will be further improved in order to enhance the tourism experience with the view to attract new and longer-staying tourists. Moreover, the management capabilities of local counterparts will be strengthened so as to ensure long-term sustainability of the results achieved under NTF III.&nbsp;</p><p>In Tanintharyi, new tourism products (such e.g. Cultural Tourism Tours, Creative Tourism activities, etc.) will be developed at community level and service provision capabilities to tourists enhanced (such e.g. improving food quality and safety), as well as tourism and tourism-related associations strengthened. Tanintharyi has relavant revenue generation potential becasue of its pristine beaches and easy accessibility both from the capital Yangon (by flight) and from Thailand with three border crossing open to tourists.&nbsp;</p><p>In Chin state, a group of tourism stakeholders will be linked to Kayah state with a Training of Trainers (ToT) study tour on ITC&apos;s inclusive tourism approach followed by on-site and distant coaching on implementation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This project aims at improving the economic situation in the Inle Lake (Shan State, Myanmar) area through the upgrade of the horticulture supply capacity and the development of sustainable tourism. Funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) trust fund, it will be implemented by a cluster of 4 UN agencies gathered in the UN Trade Cluster, through the establishment of value chains leading to income generation and employment creation. Within this framework, ITC will assist the Inle Lake area in gaining in its position as a touristic destination. Through the design and application of a new branding strategy, the enhancement and promotion of products and services of the Inle Lake inbound tour operators, and the alignment of tourism goods and services to the industry requirements (especially in quality and food safety), the tourism sector will reach a new market positioning in sustainable and inclusive tourism. It will result in an increase and stabilization of business opportunities for tourism actors.</p>