The Pyidawtha Plan () was an eight-year national

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

plan established by the

Burmese government Myanmar (Names of Myanmar, formerly Burma) () operates ''de jure'' as a unitary state, unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 Constitution of Myanmar, 2008 constitution. On 1 February 2021, Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military took ove ...

in 1952, to develop an industrialized

welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the State (polity), state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal oppor ...

in post-colonial Burma. The plan, commissioned under Prime Minister

U Nu Nu (; ; 25 May 1907 – 14 February 1995), commonly known as Burmese names#Honorifics, U Nu and also by the honorific name Thakin Nu, was a prominent Burmese people, Burmese statesman and the first Prime Minister of Union of Burma. He was ...

's leadership, was one of the first economic development plans to be adopted by a developing country in the post-war decolonization period, and served as a model for other countries. The Plan was initially estimated to cost , with two-thirds for industrial enterprises, and the remainder to fund

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...

. The plan was Burma's second national development plan, the first being the 1947 Sorrento Villa Plan. The plan was halted following the

1962 Burmese coup d'état The 1962 Burmese coup d'état marked the beginning of one-party rule in Burma (Myanmar) and the political dominance of the military in Burmese politics. In the 2 March 1962 coup, the military replaced the civilian AFPFL-government headed ...

Ne Win Ne Win (; ; 24 May 1911 – 5 December 2002), born Shu Maung (; ), was a Burmese army general, politician and Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974, and also President of Burma from 1962 to 1981. Ne Win was Burma's mili ...

. The Pyidawtha Plan made headway in infrastructure, agriculture and industry, despite failing to meet its ambitious targets because of the collapse in rice prices following the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

boom. Lack of state funding had stalled much of the project by 1956, as rice revenues comprised the main funding source for this plan. In August 1951, the Burmese government entered into a contract with Knappen Tippetts Abbett, an American engineering firm, along with a mining engineering firm and economic consulting firm, to develop a comprehensive, integrated program for resource development in Burma. The project was financed by the Technical Cooperation Administration, a precursor to the

United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 1961 and reorganized in 1998 ...

. The 800-page report, entitled ''“Comprehensive Report: Economic and Engineering Development of Burma'', was completed in August 1953. It focused heavily on infrastructure rehabilitation, as Burma's infrastructure had suffered extensively during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The government introduced the Plan to the country during the Pyidawtha Conference, which was held from 7 to 17 August 1952. The Pyidawtha Plan consisted of 10 schemes covering 10 overarching areas: #Devolution of power to regional governments #Health #Education #Economy #Nationalization of arable lands #Transportation #Welfare #Democratic local councils #Development of frontier and undeveloped areas #Rebuilding

References

{{reflist

External links

Comprehensive Report: Economic and Engineering Development of Burma
Economy of Myanmar Economic development programs Development in Asia