The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) is the Burmese government agency plays a vital role in the transformation process of the implementation of a market-oriented economic system. Its headquarters is located at Building 3 and 52, Nay Pyi Taw, in Myanmar.
Departmental bodies
Office of the Minister
Department of Trade
Department of Consumer Affairs
Department of Trade Promotion Organization
History
From the time of independence in 1948 up to 1962, foreign trade was conducted by the following boards and corporations:
In 1964, wholesale shops, broker houses, companies, department stores and warehouses all over the country were nationalised. In 1965, the Trade Council was established and the following trade organisations were set up under the Ministry of Trade:
Central trade
22 trade corporations
14 state/divisional trade offices
283 township trade offices
1942 people's shops
In 1976, in accordance with the economic policy of the Burma Socialist Programme Party the trade organisations were reformed as follows:
Department of Trade
11 trading corporations and their divisional/branch offices, factories/workshops
14 state/divisional trade offices
New establishments after 1988
To be in line with the changing economic system, in 1989 the Department of Trade was changed to the Directorate of Trade with extended functions and responsibilities.
In 1989–90 the following domestic and foreign joint ventures were set up and operated:
Domestic joint ventures
Joint Venture Corporation No. 1 Ltd.
Joint Venture Corporation No. 2 Ltd.
Joint Venture Corporation No. 3 Ltd.
Joint Venture Corporation No. 4 Ltd.
Joint Venture Corporation No. 5 Ltd.
Joint Venture Corporation No. 6 Ltd.
Joint Venture Corporation No. 7 Ltd.
Joint Venture Corporation No. 8 Ltd.
Joint Venture Corporation No. 9 Ltd.
Northern Shan State JV Co., Ltd.
Myanmar Citizens' Bank Ltd.
Foreign joint ventures
Myanmar Rice Engineering Co., Ltd.
Myanmar Malaysia International Ltd.
Myanmar Motor Ltd.
Myanmar Singapore International Ltd.
Myanmar Borneo Ltd.
Myanmar Inotech Ltd.
Myanmar Chan Ltd.
Myanmar Tokyo Maruichi International Ltd.
Myanmar Natsteel Hardware Ltd.
Myanmar Inspection and Testing Services
In 1992, the Hotel and Tourism Corporation was upgraded to ministry-level and the relevant organisations, the Foodstuff and Beverages Enterprise and Hotel and Tourism Services were transferred to the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism. In 1993 the Company Registration Office, Companies Control Department and the international Organisation Sections (GATT/WTO) under the Directorate of Trade were transferred to the newly established ministry, the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development. In 1996 the Ministry of Trade was changed to the Ministry of Commerce with a view to implement economic activities for the development of the national economy. In 1996 the Ministry of Commerce established the Department of Border Trade and it currently has 10 branch offices at the borders of neighbouring countries. In 1997 the International Organisation Section, including WTO, was retransferred from the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development to the Ministry of Commerce.
Re-organisational activities under the Ministry of Commerce
The Ministry of Commerce created a motto of Advance Forward Through Commerce and it has been conducting various activities for the development of the national economy. The Ministry of Commerce has also restructured the following departments to be in line with the adopted market-oriented economy since 1 April 1998:
Office of the Minister
Directorate of Trade
Department of Border Trade
Myanma Agricultural Produce Trading
Department of Trade
There were the following departments:
International Trade Promotion Department
Planning & Statistics Department
Export Department
Import Department
Export Import Policy and Registration Department
Accounts Department
Administration & Training Department
Department of Consumer Affairs
Department of Consumer Affairs was established on 1 April 2016. There were the following divisions:
Division of Administration
Division of Accounts
Division of Policy Review, Planning & Statistics
Division of IT and Quality Management
Division of Product Safety
Division of Consumer Affairs
State and Regional Branch offices
District Level Offices
Vision
To further strengthen the existing friendship between the two countries
To promote border trade between the two countries putting it in line with normal trade
To get the reasonable revenue for the state
To facilitate private business activities thereby allowing them to acquire reasonable profits
Myanma Agricultural Produce Trading (MAPT) is a government organisation under the Ministry of Commerce.
MAPT has laid down the following six main objectives:
To generate more foreign exchange income for the development of the national economy
To explore new cultivable land and organise extensive cultivation
To assist the enhancement of better quality crop production and strive for export promotion
To promote new exportable products
To develop the rice milling industries
To successfully implement the state policies with regard to agricultural produce
Organisation
The managing director is the head of MAPT.
Under Myanmar Agricultural Produce Trading (MAPT), there were the following departments:
Paddy and Rice Department
Pulse Beans & Other Crops Department
Milling, Engineering, Bran Oil Mail & Project Department
Export Department
Movement Department
Planning & Finance Department
Administration Department
Inspection Department
State/Divisional Offices, District Offices and Township Offices
Within the organisational set-up of MAPT, there are 4 functional departments as follows:
Warehousing, Handling and Export Department, Grain Department, Milling, Engineering & Bran Oil Mills Department, and the Administration Department. The Post-harvest Technology Application Centre (PTAC) under MAPT undertakes post-harvest activities, research, development and extension (RDX) works especially including food grains, fruits and vegetables and issuance of certificates relating to the quality of crops and analytical results of chemical compositions, pesticide residue, aflatoxins etc.
MAPT renders its assistance to private sectors in the following activities:
Extends its fullest co-operations relating to exports of grains and imports of commodity from abroad
Assists to obtain the quick result relating to various laboratory test
Provides necessary assistance for rice milling industry and oil processing industry
MAPT Operations
MAPT assists the in following steps relating to export business that are allowed by the state to the private sector, especially grains exports, the export of new commodities, and import business:
Undertakes the various steps of the exporting business, commencing from searching the markets for export commodities to the final negotiation stage of the shipping documents
Renders its services to make each processing step relating to import flow smoothly
Undertakes all necessary steps relating to the shipment of export commodities
Carries out rental services for warehouses if necessary
Undertakes pest control services for grain storage
Assists necessary work to producers to become successful exporters
MAPT undertakes the following activities relating to the inspection services of exported goods and imported goods:
Conducts preshipment inspection of commodities for export and inspection of imported commodities relating to quality/specifications, quantity, weight, measurement, packing and marking, etc.
Issues certificates of laboratory analysis and testing
Conducts inspection and surveying services for exporters and importers with reasonable service charges for mutual benefits
Undertakes laboratory analysis and testing of soil and water, quality of food grains and extends technical assistance on post-harvest technology
MAPT conducts services relating to analysis and testing of soil and water:
Undertakes analysis relating to the physical quality of food grain; milling quality; fibre content; contents of dust, husk, sand and other admixture; contents of discoloured grains, etc.
Undertakes analysis and testing of the qualities of food grain such as moisture content; composition of ash, protein, starch/carbohydrate; fibre and other chemical composition, etc.
Undertakes analysis and testing for aflatoxin contamination
Undertakes analysis and testing of quality of oil and oil crops, colour condition, specific gravity, oil colour test, cloud point, moisture content, fat, acidity, etc.
Extends technical assistance on pest control services
MAPT undertakes the following services relating to the milling of rice, and construction and maintenance of rice mills:
Follows rice milling activities for effective improvement in quality with reasonable affordable charges.
Assists private entrepreneurs who wish to construct new rice mills, improving development of existing rice mills and maintenance of existing rice mills
Manufactures and sells mobile and low-cost small rice mills
Assists private sector with rice milling technology
MAPT undertakes the following services relating to edible rice bran oil mills:
Conducts nrocorry[clarification needed] of edible rice bran oil with reasonable charges.
Removes the colour and odour from various types of edible oil and ensures purity of oil.
Extracts oil from soyabeans, purifies raw palm oil and extracts oil from expelled cakes (groundnut cake, sesame cake) by using the chemical solvent extraction method.
MAPT undertakes the following machinery installation services to upgrade the quality of food grains:
Cleans paddy machines and beans
Dries paddy machines and other grains
MAPT also renders the following engineering services: