Abstract

• The paper tries to present “the preliminary study on importance of small and medium enterprises in Mawlamyine City”. The study area is located at accessible area and it has locational advantage to develop industrial sector especially SMEs. Mawlamyine City possesses 737 Small and Medium enterprises of which 562 Small enterprises and 175 Medium enterprises are included. They are important for local economy because existing agriculture give low and irregular income for local people. Growth of SMEs reduces unemployment rate, increases GDP and support local people through job opportunities for skilled and unskilled labour. But, SMEs of Mawlamyine City encounters the constraints that hinder SMEs development. The objectives of the paper are to examine present economic activities of Mawlamyine City, to explore the supports of SMEs on economy of Mawlamyine City, to find out the constraints affecting on SMEs of Mawlamyine City and to predict future prospect on SMEs of Mawlamyine City. Geographic methods and GIS tools were applied and, exploratory approach was used in doing the research work.