The EU funded Switch Asia project ‘Smart Myanmar’ is focused on making social and environmental improvements in Myanmar's garment industry. The project aimed at boosting Myanmar's garment export sector has started its second phase with EU funding of €2.8million to the end of 2019.

In its first phase, it worked with local garment factories on social and environmental compliance issues, providing technical support and capacity building for local trade bodies. The project also helped the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) increase staffing and drafted a first-ever Code of Conduct for garment exporting factory members.

Smart Myanmar’s next stage will see the expansion of previous activities as well as new work promoting sustainable production and ‘transparency in procurement practices in Myanmar’ ,a county where more than a dozen major apparel brands, including GAP, H&M, Primark and Adidas are now sourcing.

The value of exports has more than doubled in less than two years and is projected to continue to grow almost exponentially for the next several years. The growth of the garment sector will contribute to the growth of the industrial sector and create many new jobs.

Continuing to work closely with Myanmar factories and the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association, the aim of the Smart project is to actively promote and support the sustainable production of garments.