MADEI

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Please improve this article if you can. (June 2007)

MADEI has been assembling Japanese commercial vehicles in Myanmar for decades; recently, it was commissioned by the government to manufacture jeeps. Manufactured at six industrial zones under government supervision, the models are Super Mandala Jeep from Mandalay Industrial Zone, Myay Latt Jeep from Myingyan Industrial Zone, Htila Jeep from Meikhtila Industrial zone, Chindwin Star Jeep from Monywa Industrial Zone , Shan Star Jeep from Ayethaya Industrial Zone in Taunggyi and PKU Jeep from Pakokku Industrial Zone. Body is made locally, while the mechanical parts are imported from Japan. Production rate was approximately 100 annually.

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It is a fact that Myanmar is manufacturing jeeps locally for the motor vehicle market in the country. The circumstances surrounding the rise in local production is due to military government's policy of limiting vehicle imports to conserve foreign currency starting from 1997 as well as an inability to import more fuel for the motor cars. There is also a conspiracy among high-ranking officials to monopolize car imports and restricting numbers on the roads so that the premium rate for import licences shot up, benefitting those who handle such lucrative enterprise. Another is to encourage local manufacturing of motor vehicles, preferably jeeps. But due to inefficient production methods being carried out and the soaring cost of labour and material, some manufacturers have illegally imported disassembled vehicles and reassembling them in the country as their own. It is known that many American jeeps ended this way.