¡¡¡¡YANGON, February 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Myanmar will hold its 39th annual gems emporium from March 4 to 12 this year to put on sale locally-produced quality gems, pearl and jewelry through competitive bidding, tender and at fixed price, according to the Myanmar Ministry of Mines Wednesday.

¡¡¡¡In addition to making arrangements for foreign gem merchants toattend the forthcoming nine-day emporium, the Myanmar mining authorities will also allow local gem traders to buy gems and jewelry at the emporium.

¡¡¡¡Besides the annual events taking place every year in March since 1964, Myanmar also used to hold mid-year ones in October to boost the country's gems sale.

¡¡¡¡At the 38th annual and 10th mid-year Myanma gems emporiums heldduring 2001, 10.12 million and 9.556 million U.S. dollars were fetched respectively.

¡¡¡¡Each emporium attracted hundreds of merchants from over a dozencountries and regions, mostly from China, the Hong Kong SAR, Japan,Singapore and Thailand.

¡¡¡¡Myanmar, a well-known producer of jade, ruby and sapphire in the world, has earned a total of 339.834 million dollars of foreign exchange from its 38 annual and 10 mid-year gems emporiums,according to official statistics.

¡¡¡¡Myanmar enacted the New Gemstone Law in September 1995, allowing national entrepreneurs to mine, produce, transport and sell finished gemstone and manufactured jewelry at home and abroad.

¡¡¡¡Since April 2000, the government has reportedly started mining of gems and jade in joint venture with 10 private companies under profit sharing basis. Enditem

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