Khit Myanmar 2005

Khit Myanmar Vol. 3, No. 14 (December 30)

• WTO extends the deadline for application of the developing countries for protecting intellectual property rights till July 1, 2013. (December 26 news)

• Ministry of Commerce blacklisted the Agrocrop International Pte., Ltd in Singapore for three consecutive years, according to the announcement issued on October 24. (December 22 news)  

• Construction work on the East-West economic corridor, which would link Burma's Mawlamyine port and Vietnam's Da Nang port via Thailand and Laos, would be accelerated soon, Thailand's Minister for construction was quoted as saying by Thai News Agency. (December 20 news)

• A local earthenware company will export about US$13286 worth 9759 earthen pots to Malaysia. (December 19 news)

• Green Cycle Company exported 0.1million cartons of its Ve Ve soft drink to United Arab Emirates during December. (December 19 news)     

• Minister for Foreign Affairs U Nyan Winn participated 10^th BIMSTEC senior official meeting held in Dhaka. Burma, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand - all are the grouping's member countries - have agreed to establish free trade area by July 1 next year. (December 18 news)

• A travel industry charity photo show, where works of travel companies and amateur photographers are to be displayed, will be held on January 7 in Sakura Tower. The profits gained at the show will be donated to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. (December 17 news)

• SPA Myanmar and Malaysian Achi Jaya Plantations Sdn Bhd are negotiating with the Department of Agriculture Planning to grow palm oil in Myeik and nearby region. (December 13 news)

• Burmese Kyats became stronger in Burma-India border towns such as Tamu and Kalay, and prices of Indian products declined. (December 7 news)

Khit Myanmar Vol. 3, No. 13 (December 23)

• Myanmar Red Cross Society is planning to build a retaining wall with its own funding in Tsunami affected Pyinsalu town in Labutta Township. It will also rebuild a primary school in similar town damaged because of Tsunami. (December 15 news)  

• Hong Kong Red Cross Society will donate 47 fishing boats to Burmese tsunami victims. The fishing boats will be built locally and the society already donated the first completed 16 boats to the victims in late November. (December 15 news) 

• Five jewellery companies will participate in one-month long Dhaka international trade fair to be held in Bangladesh's Dhaka. (December 10 news)

• A massive quantity of China-made low quality steel sheets entered into the Rangoon construction market. As the steel sheets are low graded constructors should take care of using such products for building projects. (December 8 news)    

• More than 50,000 flasks are imported from China within one month via Muse border checkpoint. (December 5 news)

• The management effectiveness programme conducted by the Department of Health in collaboration with WHO will be expanded to other townships in addition to Thongwa, Paune-te, Yattsout, Sinttgai and Kyon-pyaw townships where the program was introduced 18 months ago. (December 9 news)  

• Myanmar Red Cross Society donated 2000 sets of family kits that are worth about K6,000 each to Hlaing fire victims in late November. (December 9 news)

• Mandalay will hold its annual ICT exhibition for the fourth time from January 6 to 8. (December 7 news)

• Japanese Yamagata University will invite a Burmese senior official early next year as part of bilateral co-operation programme on paddy yield increase. Japanese side expects to begin the programme in next cultivation season after signing a memorandum of understanding with Burma side. (November 30 news)

• FAO will open a systematic chicken farming training in Rathedaung and Maungdaw townships in Rakhine State in collaboration with Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department as part of the Northern region's agriculture and natural resources development project. (November 12 news)              

• A Japan-based AMDA will continue its micro financing program in central Burma till December next year. The program is conducted in collaboration with JICA. (November 1 news)

Khit Myanmar Vol. 3, No. 12 (December 16)

• Myanmar gold traders association begins security measures since December 1 to protect gold shops and traders in collaboration with Rangoon Northern District police force. Meanwhile market prices on December 8 showed that Burma's gold price is still lower compared to the international gold price. The local gold price per viss is about K319,300. (December 10 news)

• Crab prices pick up again as the quality of export crabs is being monitored tightly by the fisheries departments. Crabs are exported via inland transport through border checkpoints. (December 6 news)   

• Export of the pe-sinn-gon (pigeon pea) are likely to be down in November and December as the prices being offered at the India market, which is the main export market of Burmese bean and pulses, are also down and reached to about US$280 per metric tonne in this month. (December 2 news)

• About 1000 tonnes of agricultural products including rice are exported on November 28 with Pattaya Navee ship, according to the figures released by the Myanma Port Authority. During November 16 to 21 Burma exported 18435 tonnes of which agricultural products accounted for more than 14,000 tonnes. (December 2 news)   

• The articles, cartoons and poems composed by the PLHA (people living with HIV/AIDS) are displayed at a World AIDS Day ceremony organised by Yadana Myitta, the first Buddhist association that provides mental and physical assistance to the HIV/AIDS patients. (December 2 news)          

• Insein-downtown city buses are ordered to proceed the next destinations soon after the passengers get off at the bus stops in order to avoid undesirable incidents. The rule is issued as some buses wait more passengers at the bus stops for a long time and some leave the bus stops while passengers are about to get off the buses. (December 6 news)

• Works on construction of the seven out of 11 international standard hotel projects in Ngapali beach are completed, a senior official from Ministry of Hotels and Tourism said. Previously there were seven hotels with total of 124 rooms available at the beach and the completion of new projects will provide about 700 rooms. (November 29 news)      

• Trial cultivation of the imported black eye bean seeds in Magway, Bago and Ayeyarwaddy divisions is successful and the growing of new crop has resulted in increase of yield per acre. (November 24 news)  

• Price of the steel roofs declines as Thailand-made steel roofs entered the Rangoon's construction market during third week of this month. (November 26 news)  

• Ministry of Health has established a division for DNA analysis under its national laboratory. (November 19 news)

• Minister for Commerce, Brigadier General Tin Naing Thein, said the amount of commodity export increased despite the speculation of decline when normal trade replaced border trade. (November 11 news)

Khit Myanmar  Vol. 3, No. 10 (December 2)

• Bangkok Airways will operate Rangoon-Bangkok-Hiroshima flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays every week. But tickets for Rangoon-Hiroshima will only be available in Bangkok not in Rangoon. (November 23 news)

• More than 65,000 rice bags per day flow into Rangoon, which now has more than five millions population, since November second week. (November 23 news)

• A surgeon and treatment nurse from a French organisation will visit Burma to provide treatments on heart disease patients in Rangoon and Mandalay. (November 23 news)

• High export of goat meat is resulting in the shortage of high-quality mutton in local market and Malaysia is importing more than 200 goats a week from Burma. (November 23 news)   

• Officials said 45 million gallons of water in addition to regular supply of 90 millions gallon daily are distributed from Nga-moe-Yeit water distribution project since November 21. (November 22 news)

• The Ministry of Commerce's Market Information Research Team said the amount of fruits export to China during the eve of coming Chinese New Year festival would likely to become the biggest in 2005. (November 22 news)

• Viruses from imported Japanese ornamental fish were damaging the domestic fishery industry, a director from Department of Fisheries said. (November 22 news)

• The demands for the CNG converted buses are increasingly high while the prices of other vehicles drop. The increase demand is due to the attractive hiring fees of the buses. (November 22 news)

• The salt price increases threefold to about K65 per viss in early November because of the approaching of the salt producing season. (November 6 news)

Khit Myanmar Vol. 3, No. 9 (November 25?)

• The 12^th meeting of Pacific Congress on Marine Science and Technology (PACON) to be held in Rangoon from June 11 to 16 next year is expected to attract experts from member countries. (November 16 news)

• Thailand imported US$21500 worth 179 tonnes of fish-paste via border checkpoints in Tanintharyi Division. (November 16 news)

• Rice prices are likely to drop as new harvest rices from Ayeyarwaddy Division are entering the rice market in November. (November 15 news) 

• The engineering division of the Myanma Agricultural Produce Trading is striving to produce to wind-power electricity generators and its first trial machine is being tested in Hmawbi Township. (November 14 news)

• Export of more than 80 tonnes of Cinnamon bark to China via Muse border checkpoint during the first week of November has earned the Burmese exporters more than US$56,000. (November 11 news)

• Burma-Chinese border trade fairs-2005 will be held in Chinese's Shweli from December 12 to 16. (November 10 news)

• The Ministry of Industry No (1)'s Sarlingyi Textile factory in Pakokku Township being built in collaboration with Burmese and Chinese experts will begin its operation on November 25.  (November 10 news)

• The First Myanmar Investment Co., Ltd will grow rubber plant in 6000 acre lands in 2005-2006 fiscal year and the plantation lands will be gradually increased to 0.1 million acres within five to seven years. (November 9 news)

• UMFCCI will participate at Grand Lanna and Mekong Cultural Fair to be held in Chiang Rai from December 21 to 25. (November 9 news)

• Myanmar Cement Industries Co., Ltd will increase its production to 120,000 tonnes per year since 2006 to supply the country's cement requirement. (November 7 news)

• Public needed to collaborate with the police force to reduce the crime rates as most of the recent crime cases were committed by people who don't have long criminal record, a police force senior official said. (November 5 news)

Khit Myanmar Vol. 3, No. 8 (November 18)

• More than 103,600 tonnes of commodities are exported in October to Asian countries and Spain. (November 10 news)

• Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department will release educating VCD for bird flu prevention. (November 10 news)

• World Food Programmes office in Rangoon will invite tenders for US$0.1 million worth foodstuff that are to be consumed with rice. Foodstuffs are to supply for the children and farmers who stopped growing poppies. (November 5 news)    

• Private lacquer-wares manufacturing businesses in Bagan are exporting more than K200 millions worth lacquer-wares annually to Germany, Italy, Japan, France, Singapore and Thailand. (November 5 news)

• The imported Aqzuki bean, which is popular in Japan, will be grown in 150 acres of trial plots in Rangoon Southern District. (November 1 news) 

• Myanmar Edible Oil Traders and Businesses Association limited the prices of edible oil to be sold in Rangoon's townships. According to the association, price per viss will be K1150 in townships that are in municipal areas, K1130 in tax-free market and K1170 in the townships in Northern District area. (October 30 news) 

• Department of Health will provide trismus vaccination in November to women who are between 15 and 45 years old in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF and JICA. (October 29 news)     

• A group of international malaria experts visited Mon State, Sagaing, Bago (North), Magway and Mandalay divisions on October 18 to study the causes of malaria outbreak in the country. (October 27 news)

• Experts from UNESCO and IOC will visit Burma in November to install the tidal gauges that help monitor tsunamis. (October 21 news)

Khit Myanmar Vol. 3, No. 7 (November 11)

• The vehicle prices drop off sharply due to the increased availability of many vehicles in the market. After conducting of the government's administration committee for the nationalised properties' auction and other auctions the vehicle supply increases considerably. (November 4 news)

• More people are using the small-scale biogas steamed plant that gives power from utilising animal excrements. The steamed plants are imported from China and more demand will result in manufacturing these products domestically. (November 3 news)

• Pedestrians who breach the traffic regulations not only in the downtown areas but also in other areas including in Hleden, Myaynigone and Kaba Aye are confined. (November 3 news)

• Members of the Myanmar Red Cross Society's Regional Disaster Response Teams are likely to go to Pakistan to help earthquake victims. (November 3 news)       

• A research on view of Burmese (male) on reproductive health is being done by Department of Health since February this year in collaboration with UNFPA and Japanese Organisation International Committee of Family Planning. (November 2 news)

• Burma GSM mobile phone users will enable to send the short messaging service to the internet users beginning from November via the newly introduced service provided at the Yangoncity website. (November 2 news)

• Burma aims to earn US$100 millions in 2005-2006 fiscal year from exporting of onions that are grown in 50,000 acres. (October 31 news)

• Traffic congestion occurs frequently on Bayintnaung Bridge that links Rangoon and Hlaing-thar-yar industrial town because of the inefficiency of charging systems to the vehicles that pass the bridge. (October 28 news)      

• Senior officials from the government's three ministries and the officials from JICA have discussed and identified in October the development methods for Burma's tropical region. (October 27 news)

• Parents and guardians of the female students will be responsible for the out-of-school-hour security of their children in order to prevent sexual harassment that is arising among under-aged children in other countries. (October 27 news

•  The supply of the freshwater fish is normal in the Central Sanpya fish market in Kyitmyindaing Township, which is one of the main fish markets in Rangoon, and the prices are down sharply compared to last week prices. (October 27 news)

Khit Myanmar Journal Vol. 3, No. 6 (November 4)

• Highway trucks are receiving double their petrol quota since October 20. Previously they can buy 46 gallons at the special petrol stations and now the quota is raised to 93 gallons with the price of K1500 per gallon. (October 27 news)

• Saltwater shad-like fish (Nga-tha-lauk) are exported to China through border and fish are sold with the better prices in Chinese market. (October 27 news)

• Burma's raw rubber export is shifting from Thailand to China market as the latter's rubber demand is rising. (October 26 news)

• Burma students with the ages ranging from 14 to 16 years who have completed Grade-9 education will be eligible to apply for ASEAN scholarships offered from Singapore-Cambridge. (October 25 news)

• China is buying more dried shrimp from Burma and the commodity is exported via border. (October 24 news)

• The locally produced 'Sponsor C' and 'Sport C' soft drinks will be exported to Bangladesh via Maungdaw border checkpoint in Rakhine State. (October 24 news)

• Oil tankers carrying total of more than 12,500 tonnes diesel and 5,600 tonnes gasoline from Singapore arrived at the port of Myanma Petroleum Products Enterprise during the last week of October. (October 23 news)

• The petrol prices at the Ministry of Energy's special petrol stations, which are distributing the petrol in foreign currency or FEC, are reduced to FEC2.5 from FEC 3.3 since October 20. (October 23 news)

• Rangoon-based German NGO Malteser will donate more than 12,000 medicated mosquito nets to the people in Wa region in Shan State to help eliminating the malaria in the region. (October 20 news)

• Mechanical engineers with at least three years working experience from Burma will enable to work at a Singapore shipyard, the biggest in Southeast Asian, and the successful candidates will earn between S$1800 and 2500. (October 13 news)

Khit Myanmar News Vol. 3, No. 5 (October 28)

• Works to establish the direct air links beginning from this year's open season among the cultural heritage sites of Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam were ongoing, a senior official from the Ministry of Culture said. The direct air links will be operated by a Thai-based airline. (Oct 12 news)

• Only iodine salts are allowed to be sold in the municipal markets throughout the country to eliminate the iodine deficiencies. (Oct 10 news)

• The Department of Fire Services has established the eight fire stations along border areas in protection of fire cases in those areas. (Oct 7 news)

• The Chinese Minister responsible for water resources will make his first visit to Burma to discuss the bilateral collaboration of water resources issue. (Oct 18 news)

• The First Private Bank would increase its investment to K5000 millions from its current amount of K2000 millions, its chairman said. (Oct 17 news)

• There was only one per cent occurrence of trachoma disease in the whole country as the result of striving to eliminate the disease since 1964, Health Minister said. (Oct 13 news)

• Myanmar Rice Traders Association is sending 10,000 rice bags, which contain 1.5 basket each, to Mandalay from Rangoon to stabilise the rice prices in the country's second capital. (Oct 20 news)

• Burma, the second biggest beans and pulses exporting country in the world, is expected to produce more than 3.6 millions metric tonnes of beans and pulses in 2005, an official from the Myanma Agricultural Produce Trading said.

• The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries will export freshwater shrimps rather than exporting saltwater shrimps in order to overcome the problems that occurred in producing saltwater shrimps. (Oct 15 news)

• Burma's traditionally produced glazed earthen pots are exported to Thailand via Myawaddy border checkpoint as they are popular in the Thailand side that uses the pots especially for decoration in hotels and residences. (Oct 12 news)

Khit Myanmar Vol.3/ No. 2 (7/10/05)

• Burma and Qatar signed an agreement on 28^th September to establish bilateral relations between the two countries. According to the agreement, the two countries will begin co-operations for developments in the sectors of economics, politics, trade, technologies and culture.

• Qatar Airways' Rangoon-Doha regular flights will be reinstated to 4 flights per week starting mid September. The airways has reduced its regular flights to Rangoon since June due to fewer passengers in monsoon season.

• Myanmar Beer won brewing industry international award at the DRINKEC 2005 beer fair held in September in Berlin.

• Pun Hlaing Golf Course in the only international class golf course in Burma, said Burma gold federation chairman U Win Hlaing.

• Burma's dried green tea leaves production has declined this year due to the weather, industry sources said. Tea farmers are producing only pickled tealeaves, said the sources from tea producing regions. Tea farmers' incomes this year will be reduced significantly, the sources said.

• Sales of guitars have been cool due to the popularity of hip hop music among the youths in Burma, said the owner of a popular musical instruments store in Rangoon. Burmese youths' interest in music has declined, said the owner.          

• Bus fares between Rangoon and the delta towns have increased, said sources from the highway bus stations.

• Air Bagan to sponsor domestic golf tours.

• Rice prices strangely stable in the last week of September, although other commodity prices have increased, according to the market survey conducted by The Voice Weekly. 

Khit Myanmar Vol. 3/ No.1 (30/9/2005)

• Extractions of underground water in Mandalay have reached certain critical level and should be controlled, said environmental expert Dr. Than Htut, at a seminar sponsored by MCDC and NCEA.

• The ministry of mines has opened a 'special gold shop', aimed at controlling gold price in the country. The shop sells government gold coins at kyats 300,000 per tical.

• Buying for medicines from the countryside have declined in medicine wholesales market in Rangoon, after the government issued warnings only to sell the registered drugs. Sales have declined sharply since the second week of September, said the market sources.

• Burma's garment industry sees some hopes after EU and US have reinstalled quotas on Chinese garments, said the chairman of Burma's garment manufacturers association. Burma's garment industry is seeing a rebound in business since July and there are more orders from Japan, said the chairman. 

• The plantation acreage for onions on the newly reclaimed land will be expanded three folds in next season, said officials from MAPT.

• FAO to provide fishing and agriculture methods to the locals in the villages where sea waters reach the farmlands.

• Two fishing boats from China have sunk on 16^th September, during a storm that hit Burma's coastal areas. The Chinese vessels were in Burma waters with fishing licences to fish legally in Burma waters. 

• Sales have been declining in Rangoon Mingalar wholesales market, but prices remain firmed, said a merchant in the market.

Khit Myanmar Vol. 2, No. 16 (23/9/2005)

• Burma's Family Entertainment Group Company has bought from the popular ESPN TV station, the rights to broadcast the soccer matches of Italy's Series A for one year.

• Only 196 disable children could attend public schools and the number is still very low compared to the disable children population in Burma, said an official from the basic education department.

• JICA is providing free rice seeds and fertilisers to farmers in Shan State Laukai area for 5 years, starting from 2005, said an official from Agriculture Department. JICA is also establishing model farms in eastern Shan State and will provide agriculture training for the farmers.

• The number of students passing high school examinations has been rising yearly, said a report in an educational magazine. Over 190,000 students passed the high school exams in 2004.

• Teashops and cafe in Rangoon have raised their tea and coffee prices, due to a rise in the condensed milk prices.   

• Burma and Thailand to co-operate in producing bio fuel under the alternative energy development and efficiency program, a Burmese official said.

•  Japan Grassroots Grant Assistance will donate US$ 71,425 to Loikaw General Hospital in eastern Burma Kaya State. The cash will be used for the purchase of hospital equipment.

• The problem of digital divide is big in Burma, said the chairman of Burma's computer federation.

Khit Myanmar (Vol. 2/ No. 14, 9/9/2005)

• Burma to co-operate with ASEAN in manufacturing biofertilizers. Burma has been offered to export 9200 tons of biofertilisers with US$ 110 per ton.

• Australia to assist Burma with technology in fruit quality standardisation.  Two Australian experts have visited Burma in August and gave lectures to the Burmese technicians on the subject.

• Rangoon's Children Hospital is planning for a major renovation. Most of the children patients arriving to the hospital are on accident cases and dengue fever cases, a doctor from the hospital said at a health seminar recently.

• China is the biggest importer of fruits from Burma, said a border trade source.

• Rattan furniture are popular among foreign buyers, mostly from Europe, said a rattan furniture store.

• YCDC to upgrade all the roads in Rangoon to the same standard, starting from October. Total roads to be repaired are over 1864 miles, said a senior official from YCDC.

• Air pollution is high temporarily during rush hours in some areas in Rangoon, said a public health expert.

• Burma's youth soccer team won two ASEAN Cups within two weeks.
  
  
  

Khit Myanmar Vol 2/ No. 12, 26th Aug 05.

• Over 10,000 Burmese people have travelled abroad every month since the beginning of 2005, said a survey from a Rangoon based air ticketing office. Most of the Burmese travel to Bangkok, said the report. The relaxation in passport issuance has caused the increase in travelling abroad, said the survey.

• Thai embassy in Rangoon said transit visas will be issued only for stays in Thailand not exceeding 3 days.

• Private owned Taunggyi Gems Co., Ltd has competed in the auction and bought a ruby with kyats 600 millions from the recently held 19^th UMEHL gems auction. The Mogok ruby, weight 9.5 carat, was originally priced at kyats 80 million. Another ruby weighted 10.7 carat was auctioned with kyats 400 million by another private company named World Pieces Gems Co.

• Rice arrivals to Rangoon have been higher than the city's demands, said a rice merchant at Bayint Naung wholesales market. Rangoon's daily demand is 40,000 rice bags and current daily arrivals to Rangoon are over 45000 bags, said the merchant.

• Corn prices in Karen State have increased.

• Another financial swindling case, which involved over kyats 2000 millions, happened in central Burma's Monywa and Pakokku in the first week of August.

• Over 7000 tons of mangoes were exported to China by border trade in July.

• Burma's coastal-run schooner services have stopped for over a month since mid July, due to the bad weather, said the coastal vessel owners association.

Khit Myanmar (19/8/2005, Vol. 2/No. 11)

• A special industrial zone will be built in western Burma Rakkhine State capital Sittwe. The industrial zone will depend on the natural gas from Shwe offshore gas field for power source. A 200 Mega-watt gas turbine will be built in nearby Ponna Kyun Township and cold storage, pulp and paper factories will be built in the zone, said the Rakkhine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman.

• Limited copies of Basic Facts about United Nations being sold at the UNDP library with kyats 500 per copy. The book is also use as a textbook for university students who study law and international relations. (The book is being sold outside with kyats 6000 per copy.)

• A Chinese timber company named China International Forestry Group made a trip to India-Burma border and studied the possibilities to extract timber form forests near Kalay-Tamu highway road. The Chinese company is currently working on forests near Taunggyi and northern Pegu forests. An Indian company named Kt Ply is also buying timber through border trade and about 40 truckloads have been exported through the border.

• China Yunan province has offered to buy orchid stems from poppy substitute orchid farms in northern Shan State Kukkhine district Tarmoenye Township. Some Burmese origin orchid species are believed to have medicinal properties and are used in traditional medicines. Annual requirement from Yunan is estimated at around 18000 tons annually. (High possibilities for natural and wild orchid species depletion in Burma!) 

• There is no big environmental damage in Inle Lake area, said a member of the National Commission on Environmental Affairs.  The environmental conditions on the tourist attraction site have been deteriorating compared to the old days but the situation can be controlled with current conservation efforts, said the official. He added that the main environmental issue threatening the lake is the increased in population on the lake. Environmental watchers said future environmental conditions could not be focused only on the lake itself but also the surrounding watershed areas and the bio-diversities of the area. According to records, population on the lake water is 1000 people per square mile, compared to 200 on the nearby lands.  

• Broiler chicken prices are up due to the decreased in free-farm chicken supplies in the wholesales market in Rangoon. Earlier this monsoon season, a chicken disease outbreak killed many free-farm chickens in the countryside and free-farm chicken supplies have decreased, said a merchant in the wholesales market.

• Burma exported over 1800 tons of marine products worth US$ 1.99 million to China through the border in the second week of July, said the official information from ministry of commerce. The week's exports were 3% higher than the previous week exports, said the information.

• Blood donors will have to answer a questionnaire, which includes psychological questions, a process to help screen HIV infected blood donors, said the National Blood Bank.

• Imported goods arrivals at Rangoon's Mingalar wholesales market have increased in the end of July but the prices remain high and there is no sign for prices declination, said traders at the market. The traders explained that the stocking of goods for upcoming festival season and the increased in investment to import the goods have caused the prices to remain high.

• Some weekly journals have raised their prices due to the increase in paper prices. Family Health, Popular, 7Day News and Flower News are among the journals that have raised their distribution prices between kyats 10-35 per copy. (Retail prices for the journals have risen from previous kyats 200 to kyats 250.) 

• Taxi drivers in Rangoon are complaining that fewer people are taking taxis. Many of their regular customers are turning to the buses, said a taxi driver.

• The director from the Veterinary Dept. warned that farmers should stop the practice of keeping chicken and duck together, as a precaution against the bird flu outbreaks, which have affected the neighbouring countries. He said the practice of keeping pigs, chicken and ducks together should be suspended at the time being, although the practice was encouraged previously.