Kumudra 2006

Kumudra No. 252 (December 29)

• Local gold price is still stable at about K422,000 per tical during this week. World gold price reached to US$621 per ounce on December 22. (December 26 news)

• Sales and rental in Rangoon's real estate market was notably cool in this month probably because of approaching to new Year holiday season, industry experts said. (December 26 news)

• Edible oil prices drop to some extent as a result of increasing raw material supply in this harvest season. Groundnut oil price drops about K100 per viss while sesame oil price falls about K50 per viss. (December 26 news)

• Sale of gold-ornaments is active in Mandalay market after completion of harvesting season when farmers normally purchase jewellery and items made of gold. (December 25 news)  

• The Internal Revenue Department is collecting detail list of businesspeople operating in major markets in order to collect commercial and income taxes systematically. Shop owners are liable to pay 5 per cent commercial tax on each item sold and an income tax on their annual profits. Shop owners who earn at least K0.3million profit a year will be levied 50 per cent income tax. (December 21 news)

• The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with other relevant ministries, will soon test air pollution in Rangoon with the assistance of World Health Organisation. (December 21 news)

Kumudra No. 251 (December 22)

• Gold price is stable at about K422,000 per tical during this week while world gold price today drops to US$615.8 from $622 per ounce on December 11. (December 19 news)

• Sales of used generators climb soon after electricity is provided on alternative basis for households and industrial zones. However sales of new generator are slow due to higher prices. (December 15 news)

• The German Diakonie Emergency Aid is likely to help grow pastures next year in natural disasters vulnerable areas from Northern Kachin State to delta region. (December 13 news) 

• Diamond prices remain unchanged for two months and trade becomes normal after Lent season. (December 13 news)

• Grade III rice price is stable between K11,000 and K13,000 per bag while Grade I rice price becomes higher than K15,000 per bag in Bayintnaung market. (December 11 news)

• The Myanma Oil and gas Enterprise gradually increases offshore natural gas supply from 50million cubic-foot to 110 million cubic-foot daily. It shares 65million cubic-foot since December 11. Two cement factories in Myainggala and a gas turbine in Mawlamyine and Thaton consume 40million cubic-foot of offshore gas. (December 12 news)   

Kumudra No. 249 (December 8)

• Prices of electronic and electrical appliances fall notably due to several reasons including stronger local currency value and lesser illegal import via borders. The price of one-door refrigerators decreases about K25,000 per unit while television prices about K20,000 to K40,000 per unit. (December 5 news)

• Illegal import of electronic products via Burma-Thailand borders decreases due to tighter inspections. Such products imported from China via unofficial routes also drops after November 25. (December 5 news) 

• Farmers in Ma-u-bin Township in Ayeyarwaddy Division said Matpe price in coming harvest season would be higher than that of in previous year's similar season. Price for advanced sales per basket reaches to K12,000 in this season while the previous year's advanced sale price was K9,000 per basket only. (December 5 news)   

• Gold price drops abruptly to K421,000 from K429,000 per tical during this week. Meanwhile world gold price still increases slightly reaching to US$647 per ounce in the corresponding week. (December 4 news)

• The majority of local garment factories were temporarily slow down their operations during this month as a result of their orders' design changes. More than 160 garment factories are currently in operation with orders from countries including Germany, Italy, Britain and Spain. (November 30 news)

Kumudra No. 248 (December 1)

• Automobile prices remain stable though trade is notably cooling down in Hanthawaddy vehicle complex. (November 28 news)

• Local gold price is stabled again at K430,000 per tical during this week. Meanwhile world gold price is increasing gradually and has reached today to US$641 per tical. (November 27 news)

• Onion seedlings for next growing season to be begun in December are to import from India. The seedling price also went up to K60,000 per pyi (2.13kg) in this year from K3,000 per pyi previous year. (November 23 news)

• Three Disease Fund will continue contributing the Myanmar Medical Association's malaria fighting project as the Global Fund's contribution to the project is to be completed in this month. The association's previous project covered five townships and additional ten townships will be included in the new project. (November 20 news) 

Kumudra No. 247 (November 24)

• The Internal Revenue Department met with gold and jewellery shop owners on November 19 to raise their awareness on taxation matters. They are liable to pay income and five per cent commercial taxes on sales volume. (November 21 news)

• Automobile prices remain stable in Hanthawaddy complex. Meanwhile trade of low-end vehicles is notably cool. (November 21 news)      

• Local gold price drops about K5,000 per tical during this week and has reached to K424,500 per tical on November 20. World gold price is cool during this week and reached to about US$622 per ounce today. (November 20 news)

• Onion price is still higher in Rangoon's retail shops even though wholesale price decreases. About 190,000 visses onion daily are entering the Bayintnaung market where new harvest of onion is available with K900 to K1,000 per viss. (November 20 news)

• The Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association of Myanmar has proposed to European Union a project that would earn about US$860million per annum by conserving the forests in the country, U Ohn, the association's general secretary said. (November 16 news) 

• Local travel agencies either stop their operations or reduce the frequency of their operations to the particular destinations because less number of people are interested in travelling with higher travelling cost. (November 16 news)

• Vegetables sales in Thrimingalar wholesale market drop because their prices become as high as meat prices. (November 16 news)

• The Ministry of Health's staff and private general practitioners begin the Public Private Partnership (for DOTS) program in North Okkapala Township to accelerate eliminating tuberculosis. The Japan International Cooperation Agency assists the program begun in October this year. (November 9 news)   

Kumudra No. 245 (November 10)

• Onion will be imported from India in order to fulfil domestic consumption and to decrease skyrocketing price. Onion price in India so far is less than local price and 5000 bags of onion will be imported for Rangoon market with the arrangement of the Myanmar Onion Producers and Exporters Association. (November 7 news)

• Prices of new harvest rice decrease slightly due to continuous supply while prices of old stock rice are still stable. (November 7 news)

• Gold price is stable at K430,000 per tical for five consecutive weeks while world gold price is up from US$601 to $620 per ounce during this week. (November 6 news)

• Trade and price are stable in Rangoon's diamond market and the price is likely to drop depending on the fluctuation of gold price. (November 2 news)  

• Palm oil is available with K1,150 per viss at the Myanmar Edible Oil traders and Oil Entrepreneurs Association's retail shops in Rangoon municipal areas. It is available with K1,130 per viss in tax-free market. (November 2 news)

• Industrial raw materials are allowed to be imported in advance for one or two months' consumption with the recommendation of industry development committee. (November 2 news)

• Burma is on the verge of establishing direct trade link with Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Commerce will help local companies for doing direct business. (October 27 news)      

Kumudra No. 244 (November 3)

• Gold price is stable at about K430,000 per tical for four consecutive weeks. Meanwhile world gold price is slightly up from October 9 price of US$580 per ounce to $601 per ounce on October 30. (October 30 news)  

• The onion wholesalers from Bayintnaung complex increase numbers of their retailed shops where 0.2viss per bag of onion is available with K200. The retailed shops sell between 70 and 80 visses of onion a day. (October 28 news)   

• Onion price is fixed again at K1,200 per viss recently in Bayintnaung wholesale complex and wholesalers are to purchase the onion with quota system due to lesser supply. (October 26 news)

• Total of 91 unregistered vehicles are confiscated during early this year to very recently and owners of such vehicles will be prosecuted with articles 5(a) and 5(c) of export and import law. (October 26 news)

• Vegetable prices drop notably because supply becomes regular again since this week. Price fluctuation is high during this season due to increased transportation charges and irregular supply. (October 26 news)   

Kumudra No. 243 (October 27)
 

• Gold price is still stable at about K430,000 per tical and sale is normal during this week. World gold price is also stable at about US$592 per ounce during the same period. (October 23 news)

• In Rangoon market Matpe price that went up since two weeks ago because of increased demand from India drops to K90,000 per 60-viss bag. Meanwhile palm oil price that was up due to transportation problem also drops to K1,540-1,550 from K1,630 per viss in Mandalay market. (October 23 news)

• Thirty-eight vehicle assemblers from Rangoon's Eastern district are trying to import required vehicle parts in order to sell their assembled cars with reasonable prices. It is said that the assemblers could reduce at least K1million in selling their products once they manage to import necessary parts. Prices of vehicle parts available in Bayintnaung market are up due to supply shortage. (October 19 news)

• Apartments with rental fees between K40,000 and K100,000 are rented more after Buddhist Lent season. Meanwhile warehouses in the industrial zones with rental fees between K0.8million and K1.5million are also rented. Though sale prices and rental fees went up about 10 per cent before the Buddhist Lent season prices and fees become negotiable when the deals are made. (October 19 news)

• Sales of electronic products in most of Rangoon's shops drop about 50 per cent during this week because of lesser demand from country areas. Transportation problem due to flooding and no trading in those country areas made the demand to decrease. Prices are not likely to drop because of fluctuation of foreign currency exchange rate. (October 19 news)

• A private FMI Co., Ltd begins growing rubber and physic nut in 0.1million wastelands in Bago and Ayeyarwaddy divisions. (October 14 news)  

Kumudra No. 241 (October 13)

• Gold price gradually drops to K430,000 from K440,000 per tical during this week while world gold price is still stronger and reaches to US$580 per ounce today. (October 9 news)

• Trades of under K20million and about K30million pick-up type vehicles are active while trades of luxury and high-end saloons are still cool during this week. (October 8 news)

• Residents of 93^rd Ward in Rangoon Division's Dagon Seitkan Township moved early this morning to Yuzana Garden Housing as their houses are covered with water overflowed from nearby Bago River. (October 8 news)

• Rice stocks in Rangoon's rice market become lesser as a result of increased demand from upper Burma. Cities in upper Burma including Mandalay are to purchase rice from Rangoon as those areas are suffering from inundation. (October 4 news)   

Kumudra No. 240 (October 6) 

• Sale and trading are cool in Rangoon's property market during this week. During this week gold price is stable at about K440,000 per tical while world gold price is slightly higher. Meanwhile the vehicle prices are stronger at the Hanthawaddy vehicle-trading complex even though trading is cool. (October 2 news)

• More than 3000 people have been affected by the floods in Mandalay and Kyats hundreds of millions worth crops stocked close to Kywe-se-kan are believed to be lost. (October 1 news)

• New harvest of Grade III rice begins entering the Rangoon's wholesales market. About 400 bags from Kayan and Thongwa enter the market daily since September 20. (September 28 news)  

Kumudra No. 239 (September 29)

• Temporary closure of border gates at Burma-Thailand border would not affect local market, traders said. The majority of traders took lightly on six-day long border closure in belief of Thailand authorities' perception in dealing politic and economy separately. Most commodity prices also remain unchanged because of consumers' lesser purchasing power. (September 26 news)

• Vehicle prices at Hanthawaddy complex still remain unchanged even though trading seems cool down during this week. (September 26 news) 

• Gold price reached to K443,000 per tical today. The price has dropped to K436,000, the lowest price during this week, and bounced back to K444,000 on September 24. (September 25 news)  

• Matpe price is strong in Mandalay market because there is demand from India market. (September 25 news) 

• Mingun Home for Aged is ready to accept helpless elderly persons. It is also being expanded to accommodate more people. (September 22 news)

• The temporary border restriction would not seriously impact local pharmaceutical market as most medicines are imported from India, China and Bangladesh. (September 21 news)

• Mutton price is still normal even though overhead cost increases. It is being exported regularly to the United Arab Emirates. Malaysia also shows interest in importing mutton from Burma. (September 20 news)    

• Prices of some exported variety of beans increase twofold as a result of higher demand from India especially from Bombay, Mumbai and New Delhi. (September 20 news)s  

Kumudra No. 237 (September 15)

• Sales and rentals of detached houses and apartments in some townships are made during this period. Detached houses worth up to K50million and condominium apartments worth at least K35million to K50million are traded. (September 12 news)

• Vehicle trade is said to become normal in Hanthawaddy vehicle complex and current prices are also expected to go on stable. (September 12 news) 

• Gold price drops about K10,000 per tical during this week reaching to K444,500 per tical. Gold trading becomes better because of lower price. (September 11 news)     

• Total of 135 kids whose parents have suffered leprosy enable to learn their primary education lessons at the No (25) basic education primary school in Sagaing's Myayadana town. The school is built with the efforts and contribution of Venerable Sayadaw Wimala and the donation from a Japanese Buddhist association, TM Rouyaku Centre. (September 8 news)

• A big supply of electronic and electrical products into the market is expected later this month. Prices of those products currently are stable at high level and they are expected to drop when supply flows in. (September 7 news)

• Groundnut oil price falls to K2,500 from K2,600 per viss because new crops of groundnut are harvested. The groundnut price also drops about K100 per viss because of new crops. (September 7 news)

• Diamond trading is cool and the price is up about K10,000/20,000 compares to last month's. (September 7 news)

Kumudra No. 236 (September 8)

• Gold price in Rangoon is still stable at about K4555,000 per tical during this week. Gold price in Mandalay also drops about K4,500 per tical compares to last week's price while gold sale is up about 30 per cent. (September 4 news)

• Some instant foods raise prices while some still watching the market situation where prices of raw materials increase gradually without shortage. (September 4 news)

• Edible oil prices drop in Mandalay due to decreased demand. Meanwhile new harvest of groundnuts also enters the market resulting in the drop of raw material prices also. (September 4 news)

• Local garment businesses that have faced shortage of raw materials enable resuming their operation as required materials are received via auctions done by authorities that regularly auction confiscated smuggled goods. (August 31 news)

• Import of grandparent stock chickens from Australia is allowed to help provide poultry farms that have lost their stocks because of bird flu. Chicken import was banned since March this year. (August 30 news)

• Boiler chicken prices drop about K700 per viss due to lesser demand in Mingalataungnyunt fowls wholesale market. (August 30 news)

• Monastic education school in Thanlyin Township's Aa-lwan-soud village handles 250 students, in which most of whom are poor, and it provides students necessary stationery and daily meals. The school survives on donations. (August 24 news)       

Kumudra No. 224 (June 16)

• Local gold price falls to K405,500 per tical on June 12. International gold price is also down successively during this week. (June 12 news)

• Live crabs will be auctioned at the Muse 105^th mile trading zone on June 30 and buyers are to pay with US dollars. (June 12 news) 

• Less onion supply to the Bayintanung wholesales complex has resulted in increase of onion price about K50 per viss. (June 9 news)

• The United Nations Children's Fund and a local NGO, Yadana Myitta, begin community-home-base-care program for orphans and family members of the people who are living with HIV/AIDS. The program also includes supporting for the children's education. (June 8 news)    

• Traders and some manufacturers are facing supply shortage as imports of raw materials, consumer products and other commodities from Thailand and Chinese Taipei via border trade zones lessen considerably since last two weeks. (June 8 news) 

• The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries is planning to support the resettlement of the poultry farms that had destroyed their stocks of fowls and quails during bird flu outbreak, the director at the ministry's Department of Livestock Breeding and Veterinary, Dr Than Tun said. (June 7 news)  

Kumudra No. 222 (June 2)

• Prices of some consumer products from Thailand are up while some are down because supplies of those products become lesser due to transportation obscurity in the borders. (May 30 news)

• Local gold price falls gradually week by week even though international gold price is up slightly during this week. Local price reaches K452,000 per tical while international price US$652 per ounce today. (May 29 news)

• Regular palm oil supply has resulted in about K30 per viss drop while groundnut oil price remains stable. (May 29 news) 

• Import of electronic products from China via border checkpoint resumes again after temporary halt. Massive import of similar products from Singapore, Thai, China and South Korea also enter into the local market through shipping. (May 25 news)

Kumudra No. 221 (May 26)

• Local gold price jumps down about K15,000 per tical while world gold price also is falling significantly during this week. Sale is cool as most buyers are still waiting in hope of further price decline. (May 22 news)

• Rice price drops about K500 per bag during this week after increase of the same amount in early this month. The price, dropped to regular level, is due to control of the authority concerned who also distribute rice with cheaper prices at the tax-free markets. (May 18 news)

• Sluggish trades of some commodities in Bayintnaung wholesale complex has resulted in prices decline. While beans and garlic prices fall those of tamarind and chilli increase because of lesser supply. (May 18 news) 

Kumudra No. 220 (May 19)

• Hanthawaddy vehicle complex is facing regular trades as the vehicle prices, which have increased rapidly because of the fluctuating exchange rates, become stable again. (May 16 news)

• The British Northumbria University will hold an education seminar on May 21 in Grand Plaza Park Royal Hotel. The university is also planning to offer a range of special scholarships for Burmese students. (May 16 news)  

• Gold price drops from its this week highest price K485,00 to K470,000 per tical while world gold price rises to US$700 from $685 per ounce within a week. (May 15 news)

• Silk Air is providing monsoon promotion for Rangoon-Singapore round trip since may 22 with FEC283+ + per head while TG offers Rangoon-Kuala Lumpur flights with FEC114+ for those who have work permits for working in Malaysia. (May 12 news)

• Passenger buses and commodity trucks are to adjust their travelling hours in accord with the working hours of a commodity checkpoint, which previously open in 24^th mile is moved to 17^th mile in Mandalay-Pyinoolwin highway. (May 11 news)    

Kumudra No. 219 (May 12)

• Sale of groundnut oil began to cool as price rose about K500/600 per viss. In late April the price reached to K2900/3000 per viss due to increased raw material price. Meanwhile vehicle prices, which fluctuated considerably due to increased gold price and currency exchange rate, also cool down during this week. (May 9 news) 

• Property market is seeing sale of some buildings and land plots ranging K30million and K60million while rental of apartments are also increasing. (May 8 news)

• Gold price dropped to K465,000 from K485,000 per tical during this week while world gold price rose to US$682 per ounce on May 8. (May 8 news)

• Rice price is stable at the higher level and it is hard to predict whether it will down again or up further. (May 5 news) 

• Garment industry earned more than US$52.6million in 2005 from export to Japanese market and it is expecting to have above $60million from export to similar market this year. (May 3 news)

Kumudra No. 218 (May 5)

• A Mongolian musician together with local artistes performed at a fund raising concert for HIV/AIDS patients held at the Hotel Nikko on March 31 organised by the Japanese children NGO, Futokoro. AIDS patients from AFXB and UNICEF's staff also sang the concert's conclusion song composed by a patient. (May 3 news)       

• Vehicle prices in Hanthawaddy vehicle trading complex are still fluctuating during this week and vehicles are being traded based on the likes of buyers and sellers only. (May 2 news)

• Gold price, which is stable at about K495,000 per tical during this week, drops about K10,000 per tical on May 1. The local price is still down while world's gold price increases to US$656 from $635 per ounce. (May 1 news)  

• Travel agencies continue providing to the packages to the beaches that are damaged by the cyclone Mala late last month because of the demand from the curious travellers. Hotels will need about a month for repairing the damages. (May 1 news) 

• Acid deposition in Burma's rivers and rainwater was found to have unharmed to the environment and public, according to the three years study by the department of Meteorology and Hydrology. Burma is the 13^th member of the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia and during the grouping's seventh meeting to be held in Rangoon in July a range of acid deposition related workshops and seminars will be conducted. (April 27 news)

• Natmataung Nation Park in Chin State is attracting more tourists and more than 160 people have visited the park between January and March this year. It has attracted about 160 tourists last year. (April 17 news)  

Kumudra No. 217 (April 28)

• Sale of construction materials is cooled down while prices are fluctuating rapidly. Cement prices increased due to the supply shortage from Thailand. (April 25 news)

• While international gold price became stable local gold price has dropped about K50,000 per tical (from K538,000 to K490,000) within four days. (April 24 news)

• Between 500 and 1,000 viss chicken supplies, majority are from Ayeyarwaddy Division, began entering Mingala-taung-nyunt birds wholesale market daily since April 14. (April 23 news)

• Because of the rising international gold price and currency exchange rate vehicle prices become to increase after water festival. (April 22 news)

• Diamond trading is still normal while the prices are up gradually during April third week. (April 21 news)  

• The Myanmar Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Entrepreneurs Association has requested government for facilitating some pharmaceutical facilities importing process. The changes of the procedure for application of import licence in early March has generated difficulties for importers and pharmaceutical prices are also up as a result of procedure changes. (April 20 news) 

Kumudra No. 216 (April 7)

 ·         Anyone who breaches the Traffic Rules Enforcement Supervisory Committee’s regulations to be practised during Water Festival will be fined K51,500. (March 31 news)

·         Vehicle rental for visiting around during Thingyan Festival increases about 20 per cent compared to last year due to the higher fuel prices. (March 30 news)

·         Most traders will not inventory the commodities for sales during water festival, which normally has higher commodities demand, due to the fluctuation of the prices. (March 30 news)

·         There were 20 criminal cases during last Thingyan Festival and the authorities will also strive to minimise the cases in coming festival. (March 22 news)

Kumudra No. 215 (March 31)

 ·         Diamond sales are up despite the price increases about K10,000/20,000. Some dealers are still waiting to sell their diamonds due to the unstable prices. (March 28 news)      

·         The 61^st Armed Forces Day was held at Naypyidaw on March 27. (March 27 news)

·         Boiled eggs are sold with K100 per four/three eggs at the bus stations in Hlaingthaya Township. Raw eggs are available at the market with about K25 per unit. Meanwhile palm oil price is stronger again due to the increased consumption. (March 27 news)

·         Companies that grow onions at the wastelands claimed that they normally achieved experience rather than profits in the first year of plantation. Companies are growing onion at the wastelands due to the governments’ policy that allowed them to export self-grown onion. (March 26 news) 

·         Business licences can be applied online at the Ministry of Commerce’s Public Access Centre (Internet centre). Sending the online applications for the business licences to the Ministry’s head office in Pyinmana via Internet centre is available since last month. (March 24 news)

·         Myanmar Banks Association is permitted to establish Myanmar Institute of Banking in which diploma courses on banking will be conducted soon. (March 23 news)

Kumudra No. 214 (March 24)

·         Gold price is stable at about K345,000 per tical during two weeks. (March 21 news)

·         Rice price cools down due to entering of the summer harvest crop while broken rice price drops significantly. Though rice price is up about K1,500 per bag in early March it drops again about the same amount due to introducing of the summer rice. (March 21 news)

·         Egg price is still stronger even though chicken price drops considerably due to the outbreak of bird flu. Egg price now is about K50 per unit and the chicken price about K1,500 per viss. (March 20 news) 

·         The President of the Myanmar Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Entrepreneurs Association, Dr Maung Maung Lay suggested for importing bird flu medication in order to facilitate in case of urgency. (March 16 news)

·         Variety of beans and pulses are harvested and market price offered from India is also better. But only exporters who sell directly to India market see reasonable profits and local traders who sell their products via brokers gain marginal profit. (March 16 news)

·         Mander Portman Woodward College Groups from Britain held its first education seminar on March 8 at the Traders Hotel. (March 16 news)

·         Mobile telephone handset prices are up slightly while handset sales also increase twofold due to the report of leasing of the GSM mobile phones by the Myanma Posts and Telecommunications. (March 15 news)

·         Under the grassroots grant assistance program the Japanese government donated US$91,418 on March 8 for malaria combating activities in Kyauktaw and Pounnakyun townships in Rakhine State. (March 9 news)   

Kumudra No. 212 (March 10)

• Gold price drops about K4000 during this week and the price is stable in about K353,000. (March 6 news)

• Twelve out of 30 students who have attended the courses of the Cambridge Tutors College London qualify to study at the medical university in Britain while the rest students are eligible to attend at the top universities in Britain including Oxford University. (March 2 news)

• Even though the outbreak of deadly H5N1 bird flu was spreading throughout the world there still was no evidence of the disease in Burma, an official from the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department said. He said a laboratory for verifying the disease was already established and necessary precaution measures were also done. In order to monitor the disease more efficiently Burma still is needed international assistance and it is likely that more assistance is to flow in this year. (March 2 news)

• The number of labour agencies rises because of the increasing number of people who want to work abroad and while more private small agencies open their offices in satellite towns the bigger agencies also expand their offices in similar areas. (March 2 news)  

• Burmese crab exporters lost about K2000 million during the Chinese New Year due to the less demand during the festival. Crab export is mainly focussed on the Chinese market. (February 28 news)

• Entering of the new harvest of jaggery (palm sugar) into the market has resulted in dropping the price, which was up for previous weeks because of the shortage of old harvest product. (February 23 news)

Kumudra No. 209 (February 17)

• Car owners are demanding higher prices even though trading in vehicle market cooled this week. (February 14 news)

• Palm oil price stables due to the regular imports through sea and Thailand border checkpoints. (February 13 news)

• Traders at the Burma-China borders are using Yuan for the transactions since February 4. (February 13 news)

• Burmese parents who want to take care of their children studying in the Malaysian universities are allowed to stay maximum five years together with their children under the 'my second home program' introduced by the Malaysian hotels and tourism ministry. (February 9 news)

• Twenty-three Burmese veterinarians will be trained at the China's Yunnan Province for in-charging the quarantine stations in Muse and Kyaintong. The stations are established to control the animal diseases, and the animal products and its by-products will only be traded between the two sides with the approval of the stations. (February 8 news)

• This year's number of visitors to the Golden Rock Pagoda is still less than that of last year even though there are steady flows of visitors during weekends. (February 8 news)       

• A Japanese medical volunteer group based in Sagaing's Wachet jivitadana hospital since 2004 is providing medical services to thousands of people with reasonable prices. The volunteer group is established by the Japanese to return gratitude of the Burmese who took care of their ancestors during wars. (February 4 news)  

Kumudra No. 208 (February 10)

• Real estate prices fall gradually and the market is only relying on rental business. (February 6 news)

• The Myanma Pearl Enterprise is inviting local and overseas investors in order to increase the pearl production. (February 4 news)

• The United Nations Children's Fund said more than 10million children had received worm vaccination in this January. (February 3 news)

• The Ministry of Health is conducting a UNICEF-funded systematic feeding strategy for children. (February 2 news) 

• Korean made products are penetrating into the Thailand and China products dominated local market and even some Korean are opening their branch businesses in the domestic market. (February 1)
  
  
  

Kumudra No. 207 (February 3)

• Ko Ko Ro Volunteer Group, a Japanese non-government-organisation, is donating school buildings in the needy areas. (January 31 news)

• Gold price is stable with K333,000 per tical during this week which is up from last week's price of K329,000 per tical.(January 30 news)  

• New harvests of groundnut, sesame and sunflower have resulted in decreasing groundnut, sesame and sunflower oil prices. The groundnut and sesame oils price K1,850 per viss respectively while sunflower oil is about K1,550 per viss. (January 30 news) 

• Authority concerned held a meeting at the Ministry of Commerce's conference hall with local importers and exporters. The importers and exporters are said the closure of the US dollar accounts at Burma's two banks since January 20 by the request of the China's Bank would have no effect on overseas trading. Instead of China's Bank transaction could be made via Singapore banks using Euro, the managing director of the Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank said. (January 30 news)

• The Fish Information and Services' headquarters for the ASEAN region is open today at the Myanmar Fishery Federation's building in Insein Township. (January 28 news)  

• In order to market Burmese pearls in Japan Kinca Trading from Japan is in discussion with some local pearl companies. (January 26 news)

• Cambridge University's UCLES awarded certificates to the nine to 13 years old children who passed the young learner English examination, which is held at the British Council in Rangoon. (January 26 news) 

• Local-made varieties of dolls begin gaining Malaysia market share and about 6,000 units of dolls are already sent late last year. (January 25 news) 
  
  
  

Kumudra No. 206 (January 27)

• Rangoon's real estate market still cools in January third week compared to last October and November, and rental is higher than sale. (January 24 news) 

• The Myanmar Overseas Seafarers Association is planning to sign a collective agreement with shipping agencies in February that will create employment for about 30,000 seafarers. (January 23 news)

• Gold price reached K336,000 per tical last week and dropped to K332,000 per tical during this week. (January 23 news) 

•  The prices of the branded groundnut oil stable in K2,000, K2,075 and K2,100 per viss for consecutive two months. The oil price is unlikely to drop because of the strong groundnut price. (January 20 news)

• The Food and Drug Advisory permitted early this month the registration of more than 300 variety of imported medicines. Most of the Pharmaceuticals in local market are imported from India, Bangladesh, China, Thai, Pakistan and Philippines. (January 19 news)

• Gems also are discovered in the Nambyu mines in Tanaine where miners mainly explore for gold. (January 19 news)

• A local company exported total of 45 tonnes of two-kilogram packaged grade-I rice to Britain on January 18 for the first time. (January 19 news)

• Two hundred city buses imported by the Bandula Transport Co., Ltd arrived in Rangoon and the buses will be sold with K16millions per vehicle after completion of converting those buses to be operated on compressed natural gas. (January 12 news)    

Kumudra No. 205 (January 20)

• Asia Winner Company will again export 50 tonnes of muttons to Middle East countries soon. It has exported similar quantity of muttons to the same countries last December. (January 15 news)   

• A workshop on the variety of bean and pulses sector in value-added export commodities will be held late this month. (January 13 news)

• The Ministry of Commerce will launch its second website, www.myanmartradenet.com, on February 1 to facilitate private businesses in dealing with the ministry. (January 13 news)

• Visits of Japanese tourists increased about 15 per cent compared to last year. The numbers of Japanese visitors were down gradually since 1998 and increased slightly in 2003. The numbers of Japanese tourists were highest in previous years. (January 13 news)

• Burma's products are mostly exported to its neighbouring countries such as China, India, Thailand and Bangladesh in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 fiscal years. The export to those countries accounted about 64 per cent of total amount. (January 13 news)

• The Singapore Association of Myanmar donated K0.7million worth rice, edible oil and instant noodles for Hlaing fire victims. (January 12 news)         

• Burma embassies in foreign countries will facilitate local companies for expanding export markets. The companies can send their products information to the embassies via the Ministry of Commerce. (January 12 news)

Kumudra No. 204 (January 13)

• Work on extension of the Yangon International Airport that will facilitate to land bigger aeroplanes such as Boeing 747 has completed about 60 per cent and the extension of runway is expected to complete during this year. (January 10 news)

• Vehicle market is still unstable and taxis and low-end vehicles only are traded during this week. (January 10 news)  

• More new Internet cafés are introduced in Rangoon early this year with reasonable prices for Internet surfing. (January 5 news)

• The German Business Pool will begin investing in Burma since 2006 in collaboration with local private entrepreneurs. GBP is comprised with 100 member companies and it has already invested in countries such as China, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. (January 5 news) 

• Myanmar Aungtagon Co., Ltd exported pumpkins to Singapore in January for the first time. (January 5 news)

• Wood industry is urged to produce value-added products for export. K2.3 billions worth 8.15 tonnes of wood related products were exported last year, a UMFCCI's vice-chairman said. Meanwhile locally manufactured furniture will also be displayed at a trade fair to be held in Japan in an attempt to penetrate the new market. (January 5 news)    

• The first compulsory induction course for those who plan to work in Malaysia will be open in January third week. The completed candidates will receive the certificates acknowledged by the Malaysian's human resource development and immigration ministries. Beginning from February Malaysia will issue visa and work permit only for those who have completion certificates of the induction course. (January 5 news)    

• The Gold Cycle Engineering and Project company said it would collaborate with foreign companies for establishing the country's seven development projects that include building a part of Asian highway network in central Burma and establishing national-owned international airline for passengers and cargo. (January 4 news)

• Rangoon's real estate market is still cooling and there is little transaction even the properties are offered to sell with lower than actual prices. (January 4 news)       

Kumudra No. 203 (January 6)

• Motorcycle prices still decline since early last November in Mandalay market. Meanwhile the prolonged cooled vehicle market has also resulted in declining of the prices. (January 3 news)

• The Ministry of Culture published its first 530-page culture magazine that includes about traditional culture and arts, archaeology and former kings' palaces. (December 30 news)   

• More people prefer buying inverters to generators and local made products are sold more than imported ones. (December 28 news) 

• The general manager of the Monsoon Maritime Services said passenger ships were offering many vacancies on training basis and they wanted to recruit more Burmese seafarers than those from Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines because of their honesty and credibility. (December 28 news)

• The SPA Management Company, which is responsible for the management of Pun Hlaing Hospital in Hlaingtharyar Township, signed an agreement with India's Apolo Hospital Group to collaborate some medication processes. (December 27 news)        

• Taxis that are operated on CNG become to use China-made 70-litre fibre gas containers, which allow running about 100 miles with one filling while previous 50-litre gas containers covered only about 80 miles. (December 22 news)

• UNODC and its affiliating associations, which are working for the reduction of narcotic drug uses and HIV/AIDS transmission, held co-ordinating meeting in Lashio on December 10. (December 10 news)