Myanmar morning news for June 28

Yangon’s standard land prices reduced 10pc
Land prices on a per square foot basis in Yangon’s townships for the 2019/2020 fiscal year has been reduced by 10pc compared to the last fiscal year in order to support more sales transactions as well as encourage landowners to pay their taxes.
— Myanmar Times

Foreign Developer Proposes 7,000-Acre Project in Sittwe
Foreign developer Gold Coast KTMG Myanmar has proposed a US$38 billion “new city” project in the suburbs of Sittwe, Rakhine State’s capital.
— Irrawaddy

Myanmar Migrants Released as Murder Convictions Overturned in Thailand
Two Myanmar migrants serving six- and eight-year sentences for the alleged murder of a Thai woman in Ranong, Thailand in 2015 won their appeal in a southern Thailand court Wednesday.
— The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s poverty rate drops to 24.8 pct: survey
The number of Myanmar people who suffered poverty has registered at 11.8 million, or 24.8 percent of the total population, dropping from 48.2 percent in 2015, Myanmar Minister of Planning and Finance U Soe Win said Thursday.
— Xinhua

Huge haul of seized narcotics torched in major cities
Narcotics seized in 2018 were destroyed in three cities in Myanmar on Wednesday to mark the 32nd International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The seized narcotics from northern Myanmar surpassed last year’s amount.
— Myanmar Times

Japan’s Nippon Life acquires 35% stake in Myanmar insurer for $21m
Nippon Life Insurance Co, the largest Japanese life insurer by revenue, announced that it has agreed to acquire a 35-per cent stake in Myanmar’s Grand Guardian Life Insurance Company (GGLI) for about ¥23 billion ($21 million).
— DealStreetAsia

Threefold increase in tobacco consumption among youths under 15
From 2001 to 2016, cigarette and tobacco consumption among the youths under 15 has increased around threefold, said Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr. Myint Htwe, at a workshop on the control against tobacco and tobacco-related products , held in Nay Pyi Taw on June 25.
— Eleven Myanmar

Sampark Yatra: Bus Tour To Bangladesh-Myanmar Begins
The delegation of the bus tour to Bangladesh and Myanmar, named as Sampark Yatra, left for Bangladesh from Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara early Wednesday morning.
— Sentinelassam

Muse-Lashio-Mandalay railroad, the longest one in Myanmar
Myanma Railways (MR) plans to construct the Muse-Lashio-Mandalay railroad which is 267 miles in length and includes 60 tunnels. It will become the longest railroad section in Myanmar, said Myo Win, General Manager (Upper Myanmar) of the MR.
— Eleven Myanmar

Japan, Myanmar sign the Exchange of Notes on the Development of Japan-Myanmar Aung San Vocational Training Institute Project
The signing ceremony for Exchange of Notes on rendering assistance to Myanmar by Japan was held at the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations, Nay Pyi Taw. The ceremony was attended by Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun, Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance U Set Aung,
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar-China Culture Association officially opens
Myanmar-China Culture Association (MCCA) officially opened their office in Royal Holiday Hotel, Tamway Township, Yangon, with a ceremony yesterday. MCCA Chairman U Tin Hlaing, Deputy Director of the Township Administration U Aung Kyaw Aye, and Chinese Ambassador Mr Cheng Rong attended the signboard unveiling and donation.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

State Counsellor launches first phase of solar power project in Minbu
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi inaugurated the first phase of a solar power plant project in Minbu yesterday, adding 40MW of power generated by the plant’s first phase to the national grid. Once completed, the plant will have a total capacity of 170MW, and it will produce 350 million kWh (kilowatt hour) per.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Japanese Firm to Help Build Industrial Zone for Agricultural Goods in Yangon
Facility in E. Dagon Township will process value-added products and supply raw materials to Thilawa SEZ.
— Irrawaddy

US interested in investing in various sectors of Myanmar economy – US Ambassador
US ambassador to Myanmar Mr. Scot Marciel said that companies from US were interesed in investing in various sectors of the Myanmar economy.
— Mizzima

AgriMatch app wins prize; to be tested in Myanmar
Last month, AgriMatch won the Telenor Youth Forum 2018-19 for their mobile phone application to optimise food production and lessen global health inequality.
— Myanmar Times

Mekong SEZs commit to promoting ‘decent work’ for women migrant workers
During the Mekong Migration Network (MMN) and Asian Institute of Technology’s (AIT) workshop, Jobs in SEZs: Promoting Gender-Sensitive Policies in the Mekong Region, representatives of governments, special economic zone (SEZ) management bodies, and civil society from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand, committed to promoting decent work in Mekong SEZs.
— BNI

Factory waste affects villagers along Dotehtawady: groups
Residents of Amarapura township, Mandalay Region, are suffering because factories dump wastewater in the Dotehtawady River, and the government needs to address the problem, said U Maung Maung Oo, leader of the Natural Green Alliance.
— Myanmar Times

Network expansion “in focus” of Telenor as data usage grows
WITH the growth of data consumption in bigger cities across Myanmar, Telenor Myanmar Ltd plans to roll its 4G LTE network out in all 14 states and regions as well as in the Union territory, according to Sharad Mehrotra, the firm’s chief executive.
— Eleven Myanmar

Education forum in Nay Pyi Taw highlights importance of ICT
ICT for Education Forum was held at Park Royal Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday. Firstly, Union Minister for Education, Dr Myo Thein Gyi, delivered a speech where he said they are implementing educational reforms in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Freshwater striped catfish must not be bred on large scale at present: MFF
Local fish farmers must not breed freshwater striped catfish on a large scale at present due to obstacles in legally exporting the species to China, according to the Myanmar Fisheries Federation. To ensure legal export of freshwater striped catfish, the federation had forwarded a proposal to the General Administration of .
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

In Rebuff to UN, KIO Says Opium Cultivation Growing Under Army ‘Protection’
Ethnic group says UNODC survey underestimated Kachin State’s output by half, and ignored activities of Tatmadaw-allied militias.
— Irrawaddy

Interference hampering repatriation: top official
Despite honest action taken by the government to resolve the Rakhine issue, political interference has stymied the efforts of the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine (UEHRD), a senior government official said.
— Myanmar Times

National Human Rights Commission to Investigate LGBT Suicide
Acting on calls from LGBT rights groups, MNHRC will soon begin an investigation into the events surrounding Ko Kyaw Zin Win’s death.
— Irrawaddy

Reclaimed farmland handed over to farmers in Pyay
A total of 106 acres of reclaimed mechanized farmland in Tee Tut Village, Pyay Township, Bago Region, was handed over to 18 farmers at a ceremony held on 25 June. Collective ploughing was performed at the ceremony, held on Plot 366, owned by the Aung Myay Tee Tut Public Company Ltd.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

ICC Prosecutor Seeks Bangladesh and Myanmar Investigation
Although Myanmar is not a member of the ICC, the court has jurisdiction over some crimes against the Rohingya as they had a cross-border nature with member state Bangladesh.
— Irrawaddy

UEHRD holds third meeting for 2019
THE UNION Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development (UEHRD) meeting (3/2019) was held at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement yesterday. The meeting was attended by Vice Chairmen (1) Union Minister Dr Win Myat Aye and Deputy Minister from the Ministry of the Office of the State.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Prioritizing to keep a school and its environs clean
By Maung Thaung Win (Ex-diplomat) Basic education schools across the country have opened since 1 June. After the calm of summer holidays in schools, the schools have become bustling with teachers, parents and students. Sweet voices from the classrooms make us hearty.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Rakhine Parliament Rejects Formation of New Ministry
The formation of a new immigration and human resources ministry was proposed by President U Win Myint and rejected in the state parliament mostly by Arakan National Party members.
— Irrawaddy

Huawei Employees Worked With China Military on Research Projects: Bloomberg
The projects, done in collaboration with various organs of China’s People’s Liberation Army, span artificial intelligence to radio communications, Bloomberg reports.
— Irrawaddy

To Dodge Trade War, Chinese Exporters Shift Production to Low-Cost Nations
Since the Trump administration started imposing tariffs on Chinese imports, more and more manufacturers have been moving to countries like Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.
— Irrawaddy

Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker receives New Zealand’s Chief Ombudsman
Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U T Khun Myat received a delegation from New Zealand led by Mr Peter Boshier, Chief Ombudsman of the Office of the Ombudsman, at the Pyithu Hluttaw guest hall in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed the Pyithu Hluttaw’s formation of the Complaints and Appeals Committee and it’s.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Bodhi Tahtaung camp gets seven new elephants
The Myanma Timber Enterprise has sent seven elephants to the Bodhi Tahtaung Elephant Conservation camp, which is slated to be opened in the Bodhi Tahtaung Pagoda precinct in Monywa Township in July, said U Zaw Win Thein, Assistant General Manager, Monywa extraction region.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

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