The Yangon Times
2007
The Yangon Times Vol. 3, No. 9 (March 1-7)
Rice price is expected to drop in Rangoon market as daily supply from growing areas so far is more than market's requirement that is about 40,000 bags per day. The excess 20,000 rice bags are resold daily to other states and divisions.
The industrial sector's contribution to GDP in this fiscal year would reach 18.9 per cent and the sector's contribution is targeted to arrive at 37 per cent in next 15 years, Lt-Gen Myint Swe said at the Myanmar Industry Association's annual meeting held on February 24.
Burma is the top beans and pulses exporting country in Asia and is the world's second top exporter of similar crops after Canada. It exported 0.9million in this fiscal year by January.
Onion trade is sluggish though its price has dropped about 50 per cent. Garlic and chilli prices also fall about K200 and K300 per viss respectively as a result of increased supply.
Under the privatisation program, the government-owned Thingangyun towel factory is sold to a private businessman with K159.9million.
Taungbilar monastic education school in Sagaing mountain range is in need of renovating its school building that accommodates 64 students. Well-wishers are also invited to contribute stationery for the students who are from impoverished families.
The Yangon
Times Vol.
3, No. 8 (February22-28)
The Yangon Electricity Distribution Group is preparing to distribute electricity the whole night time everyday to help facilitate students who are going to take their basic educational examinations including matriculation exam to be held in February and March.
South Korea-based Pan Star Shipping and TM Shipping companies are recruiting 120 Burmese seamen in order to employ them at the companies' six cargo vessels.
The additional 135million gallons of water will be distributed daily during 2008 in order to help Rangoonites using water adequately. So far 95million gallons are distributed daily and additional 45million from planned 135million gallons will be distributed by the end of this year.
The Ministry of Commerce is planning to take actions to traders who purchase onion by offering higher prices at the Bayintnaung wholesale complex in order to smuggle to neighbouring country via Myawaddy.
About 100 visses of onion from a Bangladesh border town are imported daily to Maungdaw Township because of cheaper price.
Rice trade is cool while the prices are up slightly. Onion price drops as about 30 trucks full of onions enter the Bayintnaung wholesale complex daily. Beans and pulses trade is also cool while their prices drop gradually.
More than K910million worth fruits are exported to China in January this year while more than K743millions worth fruits are imported in the corresponding period.
Trade of locally assembled jeep-type vehicles is active while trade of vehicles that are produced before 1988 is cool.
The Ministry of Commerce will help establishing public companies by providing necessary recommendations. The ministry's announcement issued on January 12 said it was assisting UMFCCI in establishing public companies to help strengthen the country's economic development.
The Yangon Times Vol. 3, No. 7 (February 15-21)
The Deputy Director General from the Directorate of Trade U Myo Oo denied the rumour of changing its practice of import priority system saying the procedure and practice for import remained unchanged. The rumour is speculated as a result of fluctuating export earning value during January this year.
The international cargo ships and oil tankers can now berth at the Wounpon port in Mekong River in Burma territory, which is recently upgraded as an international-level port.
A woman-led foundation plans to build a more than K1billion building in Rangoon to accommodate disabled persons throughout the country.
Only rental is active in Rangoon's property market. The market situation during early this year still remains unchanged compares to the previous year's situation.
Under the Japan's Grassroots Grant Assistance Scheme, the Japanese government agreed to contribute US$78,106 for construction of a clinic in Myawaddy in Kayin State. The agreement was signed by a Japanese diplomat from the Embassy of Japan here and Dr Saw Simon Tha, chairman of the clinic construction committee.
Farmers in Rangoon and Ayeyarwaddy divisions are growing onion due to the crop's popularity in local and overseas markets. Previously onion is mostly grown in Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway.
Trade activities via Kawthaung border checkpoint become normal since Jan 3. The trade activities went slow down for about a week since December 28 last year due to Thai government's control in its main computer centre.
The first telephone directory-2007 for Naypyidaw is published. The directory will be reprinted in June as a mid-year publication with updated information that includes telephone lists of government ministries and private businesses in the new capital.
The Yangon City Development Committee issues either new or renewed business licences of about 10,000 teashops and restaurants annually.
The Nang Pun village head handed over four kilos of opium poppy seeds to the township police authorities in Eastern Shan State's Mong Phayk Township. The authorities in turn contribute 120 baskets of pickled tea seeds to the villagers in Nang Pun village to grow as a poppy-substitute crop.
The Yangon Times Vol. 3, No. 6 (February 8-14)
Japanese businesses have proposed to invest in an industrial zone, which will be a part of establishing Thilawa special economic zone in Rangoon. Their proposed industrial zone will be established close to an SEZ's industrial zone dedicated to Chinese investors.
The Ministry of Commerce amended import and export related service fees with effect on January 1. Amended service fees cover for import/export registrations and licences extension, and issuing country of origin certificates.
The Prisons Department opens a nursery school building on January 21 to accommodate its staff's and inmates' under five years old children. There are five kids in Insein Prison whose mothers are jailed in the prison.
Private developers who are developing property projects in collaboration with the government ministries are to share 50 per cent of the properties. Previously the private developers were to share 40 per cent and later dropped to 20 per cent of the properties with partnering government organisations.
The
Yangon Times Vol.
3, No. 5 (February 1-7)
The new airport building of the Yangon International Airport is expected to be open earlier this year. With the new facility the airport will enable handling total of 2.16million travellers a year.
Close circuit televisions will be installed at the Aungmingalar highway terminal to help secure safety of travellers.
Aviation authorities from Burma and UAE drafted on January 18 a memorandum of understanding on opening air link between the two countries. The Emirates Airline will enable to operate to Rangoon once the governments agreed the draft.
The Ministry of Industry No (1) plans to build another cement factory with the production capacity of 500 tonne per day close to the existing one Kyaukse in Mandalay Division.
The
Yangon Times Vol. 3, No. 4 (January 25-31)
Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors announced on January 17 that it was responsible for the letter bomb blast in Bahan post office, foreign news agencies reported.
Incoming and outgoing letters and parcels at all post offices under the Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs are to be inspected with mine detectors to make sure the safety of public.
The Ministry of Industry No (1)'s pharmaceutical factory in Pyinoolwin, the biggest pharmaceutical factory in the country, will begin its full operation in March this year. The ministry spent K9,059million and US$13.94million for factory construction.
Paddy production is increased from about 600million baskets in 1988-89 to more than 1,300million baskets in 2005-06, according to the Myanma Agriculture Services' statistic. Monsoon paddy is grown in 15million acres in last fiscal year and about 16million acres in this fiscal year.
Demand from international market for freshwater fish is sluggish as local fish farms failed to produce the required sizes demanded by international buyers.
Operations of about 100 new gem mining blocks will be granted during this year, Myanma Gems Enterprise said.
Ngar-sint monastic education school in Magway Division's Taungdwingyi Township that hosts 42 orphans and poor children is in need of well-wishers' contributions.
The Yangon Times Vol. 3, No. 3 (January 18-24)
The Office of Passport Issuing Board denies moving of its office function to Naypyidaw in April this year. The speculation has made a surge of numbers of passport applicants in Rangoon office reaching to about 1,400 applicants per day during December 26 to 29. Previously the office handled about 700 applicants per day.
Eight-storey and up buildings are required to install the lifts and the Yangon City Development Committee will not issue the certificates of completion to buildings that have no lifts. Developers said installing lift would make the room prices higher and 0.they would prefer constructing buildings with under eight-storey in order to solve such problem.
More than 2.1million kilogram of jades and about 27million carat of gems are targeted to produce in 2007-08 fiscal year, according to the Myanma Gems Enterprise.
Chinese companies were waiting eagerly for a long time to invest in Thilawa special economic zone, said a Chinese diplomat who is close to Chinese business circle. The diplomat also said Chinese companies would definitely invest here once the drafting special zone law allows them to have advantages.
About 200 venereal disease patients per month only visited the Myanmar Medical Association to have free counselling and treatment provided in collaboration with UNAIDS. Meanwhile the two organisations also open clinics in 20 townships throughout the country to provide counselling and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Import and export licences for vegetable and fruits are issued right away at Muse 105th mile trade zone and the Ministry of Commerce is planning to follow such practise at the airports to help promote export of those agricultural products.
The Yangon City Development Committee issues the approvals within 15 days for the construction of new building projects once the complete set of required documentation is submitted.
Burma's tourism industry has earned about US$150millon in 2005-06 fiscal, about $17million more than the previous year's tourism income.
The Yangon Times Vol. 3, No. 2 (January 11-17)
With the collaborative effort of local businesspeople, a public company will be established to penetrate Asian market. The Ministry of Commerce will help set the policy of the company - to be called Golden Land East Asia Development Co., Ltd - and the private businesspeople will be responsible for the company's business functions and activities.
Rangoon commander Brig-Gen Hla Htay Win said later December that the temporary identification and family registration cards would be issued for young beggars and homeless kids in Rangoon, and their parents.
Wounthanu NLD (Union of Myanmar) group held a press conference on January 7 in Mandalay to inform public its activities. The group led by Dr Soe Linn is comprised of more than 1,700 ex-NLD members.
About 40 per cent of more than 20,200 registered companies only have paid taxes and the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development will approve the renewal of company's registration only after the companies have paid their relevant taxes.
An economist, Dr Tin Soe questioned the increase of inflation rate - the rate government revealed at the December press conference - despite the fact that the country's GDP and current account balance were reported increasing. The economics theories explain that the inflation rate is to be decreased if the latter two are in a rise.
About 30 domestic automobile assemblers from Mandalay Industrial Zone target to assemble 2,500 vehicles in 2006-07 fiscal year.
Five new gas wells will be drilled in A1 and A3 blocks in Rakhine offshore in 2007. India and Korean companies are collaborating with MOGE for gas and oil exploration in those blocks where 15 gas wells have already been developed.
Inmates and prisoners under trials participated in the sports events held in Insein Prison on January 4 to commemorate the 59th Independence Day.
The Yangon Times Vol. 3,
No.1 (January 4-10)
*
Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh and India showed their interests in
establishing a trade link with China via Burma, said Shweli mayor at
a Burma-China business forum held on December 17.
*
Trade of basic commodities in Bayintnaung wholesale complex is
sluggish and wholesalers are expecting purchases from international
buyers via border trade zones.
*
A 88 generation student group led by Ko Aye Lwin announced early
December launching anti-sanction campaign in collaboration with the
public.
* A market aimed to
help boost border trade will be established on 13-acre land plot in
Rakhine State's Maungdaw.