ABSTRACT
Burma in the British period was a virtual prototype of a colonial economy. When Burma was engulfed by World War II, the manufacturing and processing industries of Burma reflected the rice, teak, and petroleum export economy of the country. The destruction of the war was a major blow to the modest manufacturing base of the Burmese economy. Since over half of production is still in the private sector, there can be only limited improvement in the economy as a whole unless the private firms contribute more to national growth. Except for the expansion of the petroleum-based industries, such as refineries and fertilizer plants, it made little objective sense to place special emphasis at that time on other industry that could have only very long-range effects on the Burmese economy. In spite of the vicissitudes of the Burmese economy since 1962, there has been remarkably little change in the sectoral composition of the economy.
