On December 7th, the signing ceremony of Exchange of Notes for three projects amounting to three billion and five hundred eighty-one million Japanese Yen (approx.31.4 million USD) was held in Nay Pyi Taw.

H.E. Mr. Tateshi HIGUCHI, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar signed the Exchange of Notes with H.E. U Maung Maung Win, Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance for two projects, with Ms. Naoe YAKIYA, Deputy Country Director, World Food Program (WFP) Myanmar for the third project.

1. Project for Improvement of Magway General Hospital
(Grant Amount: up to two billion two hundred and eighty-one million Japanese Yen)(approx.20 million USD)
This project aims to improve medical treatment services in Magway region by providing the Magway General Hospital with the facilities and the equipments. This will contribute to the enhancement of the people’s lives.

2. Economic and Social Development Programme
(Grant Amount: one billion Japanese Yen) (approx.8.8 million USD)
This programme aims to improve the ability of the water transport in Myanmar and to contribute to the Economic and Social Development of Myanmar, by providing Myanmar Inland Water Transportation with a passenger ship for the coastal transport in Rakhine State. This project will be implemented as one of the projects which the Japanese Government announced in the Bilateral Meeting between Prime Minister Abe and H.E. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on 2 November, 2016 that Japan plans to give assistance totaling 40 billion Japanese Yen over five years to the areas with Myanmar ethnic groups.

3. The ODA Project (the Food Assistance Program) through World Food Program
(Grant Amount: three hundred million Japanese Yen) (approx.2.6 million USD)
In Myanmar, approximately 3million people are facing the serious food shortage. In addition, about one third of the population of children under five years old are chronically malnourished. Furthermore, due to the severe flood disaster in Myanmar, approximately one hundred and eighty thousand people need food assistance. This Project will provide food assistance for school children, HIV/TB infected patients and flood victims especially in the regions where food is the most insufficient and which are hit by the flood disaster, such as Magway, Mon, Kayah, Kayin, Sagaing and Tanitharyi Region etc.

This project aims to improve food security in Myanmar and contribute to tackling challenges in the development by food assistance through WFP based on the request of the Myanmar Government.