Kumudra 2007

Kumudra No. 259 (February 16)

• Local gold price is quite stable at about K443,500 per tical during the week while world gold price is increasing to US$$666.85 from $647 per ounce in the corresponding period. (February 12 news)

• Sales of the thrown away recyclable items made with plastic drop about 50 per cent since last three months because of lesser demand from local plastic product producers, who use recyclable items as raw materials. The plastic product producers have to reduce their productions because of intermittent supply of electricity. (February 10 news)  

• The black market exchange rate of US dollar earned from export (known as export earnings) drops slightly since early this month. The exchange rate for export earnings reached to about K1,530 per US$1 in mid January. (February 8 news)

• The number of Burmese children who take Cambridge University's English language efficiency examinations available at the British Council increases notably, the council's examinations officer Daw May Win Than said. (February 8 news)

• Construction material prices are up within two weeks as a result of increasing transportation cost. (February 8 news)

• Container transportation services raised their transportation service charges about 25 to 30 per cent since February 1 because of higher fuel price and increasing overhead costs. (February 8 news)  

• Aquatic products to be exported to EU would have to meet the specifications set by those countries that would not return but rather destroy the imported products, which do not meet the standards. (February 8 news)   

• The Myanmar Red Cross Society has kept enough stocks of emergency aid kits in its 19 warehouses throughout the country in order to assist the natural disasters victims quickly. Each warehouse stores the kits enough for 200 to 500 households. (February 7 news) 

Kumudra No. 258 (February 9)

• With the excessive supply to the Bayintnaung wholesale complex onion price reaches as low as K300 per viss. Between 0.2 and 0.25million visses of monsoon harvest onion arrive the complex daily. (February 7 news) 

• Sales and rentals in Rangoon's property market become slightly active during this week and buyers are also interested in purchasing cheaper land plots in Eastern Dagon, Shwe Lin Ban and Dagon Seikkan industrial zones. Apartment prices are up slightly than that of previous year. (February 5 news)

• Local gold price drops about K6,000 per tical during this week reaching to K439,500 per tical today. World gold price also decreases to US$647 per ounce today from more than $660. (February 5 news)

• Hanthawaddy vehicle complex is again active during the week with buyers from throughout the country and prices are quite stable. (February 5 news)

• Palm oil price in Mandalay drops about K100 per viss reaching to K2,250 per viss today due to increased supply. Other edible oil prices also decrease because of palm oil price's fall. (February 5 news)

• The Myanmar Red Cross Society will conduct community-based disaster management training in March in Sagaing Division's Nyaungbinwoun village followed by a series of training in other places. (January 31 news)

Kumudra No. 257 (February 2)

• Local gold price is stable at about K446,000 per tical during this week. Meanwhile world gold price rises to US$646 per ounce today from $635 on January 19. (January 29 news)

• A local Gold Cycle Co., Ltd will co-operate with Thailand's North Star Special Co., Ltd and US's BSPI Company for gold mining in more than 2,000 acres in Thabeitkyin, Yamethin and Phayaungtaung. (January 25 news)

• The Myanmar Survey Research is conducting a market survey on 12 business categories since early January to help determine the requirements for establishing ASEAN free trade area in 2015. (January 25 news)

• Sugar price is fluctuating in Rangoon market during this week while trade is better than last year because this year's prices are lower than that of previous year. (January 25 news)

• The Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise will allow only the vehicles with insurance covers for gas refills at its stations. Banks also grant loans to the insurance-covered vehicles only that are to be converted on CNG. (January 25 news)            

• The bilateral trade volume between Burma and Thailand has reached about US$1.7billion in this fiscal year and export from Burma accounted for about $1.45billion. Bilateral border trade volume also reached to about $140million by January this year. Burmese authorities will assist local businesses for opening their branch offices in Thailand and Egypt. (January 24 news)

Kumudra No. 256 (January 26)

• Paddy milling cost is slightly up since early this year in Rangoon and other paddy growing regions because of increased paddy mill tax and overhead cost. (January 23 news)

• Varieties of edible oil prices drop from their peak prices due to decreasing demand. Groundnut oil price falls to K2800 from K3,000 per viss while sesame oil to K2,500 from K2,600 per viss. (January 22 news)

• Local gold price becomes stronger again as a result of rising world gold price. The local price reaches to K441,000 per tical today from K430,000 per tical on January 15. (January 22 news)

• Apartment rentals only are active in Rangoon's property market during the week. Foreigners prefer flats at condominiums that are available with rental fees ranging from US$400 to $800 per month. (January 19 news)

• Local Tun Foundation Bank offers total of 43 scholarships to students who have financial difficulties in pursuing university degrees. (January 18 news)

• Imported drug prices increase about 15 per cent since mid-December even though trade is considerably cool in Rangoon market. The prices rise mainly depends on the fluctuation of foreign currency exchange rates and export earning. (January 18 news)

• Trade is cool in Mingala wholesale market during the week. Prices of some imported products such as fabrics are estimated to be up soon. (January 18 news)  

• All vegetable prices drop in Thirimigalar wholesale market because of surging supply. Tomato retailed price is down notably to K300/K500 per viss from the highest price of K2,000 per viss. (January 18 news)  

• Tender system will be introduced since March last week in selling local fishery products at Maungdaw border trade zone. (January 17 news)

• Groundnut and sesame oils prices gradually up as a result of higher demand than supply. The oil grinding mills fail to produce adequate supply due to lesser stock of raw materials in the market. The growing areas of those oil crops also decrease because farmers prefer to plant export crops such as beans and pulses. (January 15 news)
  
  
  

Kumudra No. 255 (January 19)

• Gold price in Mandalay is stable at K426,500 per tical since January 13. Supply from gold mines meets daily demand. (January 15 news)

• The Myanmar Onion and Garlic Growers and Producers' Association is planning to import 100 tonnes of onion from China during this month in order to reduce the skyrocketing local onion prices. (January 11 news)

• Generator rental market in Rangoon becomes active due to mushrooming festivities and celebrations in this open season. The rental fees range from K5,000 to K50,000 depending on the capacity of generators. (January 11 news)

• Groundnut oil price in Rangoon becomes stronger due to the higher demand and increasing raw material price. The price reaches between K2,400 and K2,800 per viss and wholesalers in Bayintnaung market sold groundnut oil with K2,800 per viss during January first week. (January 11 news)

• Japanese NGO, Ko Ko Ro volunteer group, will build three middle-school buildings in Sabei Chaung, Nga-pa and Taungyi villages. It has donated school buildings in Ywathagyi and Htantabin townships last year. (January 11 news)  

• Small-scale plastic product businesses are still facing shortage of raw material that is normally imported by five companies. The businesses suggest that increased number of raw plastic importers would help prosper the local market. (January 10 news)

• Some traders are purchasing Matpe grown in delta region by paying the beans growers the advanced payment of K20,000 per basket. Early last year, farmers attained K12,000 per basket for advanced purchase. (January 10 news)

• A three-day pearl auction will be held on February 16 at Inya Lake Resort. The event is expected to attract about 100 companies from 15 countries. (January 9 news)   
  
  
  

Kumudra No. 254 (January 12)

• Automobile market becomes lively again during this week and trade of low-end vehicles with about K10million is active. Trade of high-end vehicles is in normal function since last week. (January 9 news)  

• Gold trade is active during this week in Mandalay market and the price reaches to K424,500 per tical today. Gold supply from private goldmines increases due to the attractive price. (January 8 news)

• Sale in Rangoon property market is sluggish due to the approach of travelling season. Rentals of apartment and detached houses are also stagnant. (January 8 news)

• A first private journalism school completed its first eight-week training today. The Journalism School Myanmar is established by writer Ko Yoe Kunt in Mandalay. (January 5 news)

• Trade of tilapia is stagnant because exporters are reluctant to purchase and export those fish due to intense competition from other tilapia exporting countries in the internal fish market. (January 4 news)

• The Burma office of Marie Stopes International will open seven more voluntary counselling and testing centres in Mandalay, Myingyan, Pathein and Mawlamyine. It has already opened four centres in Rangoon, Bago and Pyay as part of four-year project to be completed in 2008. (January 4 news)     

• There are about 0.2million acres of fish farms in Burma and 15 companies purchase farmed fish to export. Normally about 0.12million viss of farmed fish are traded daily. (January 4  news)   

• Paddy yield is expected to decrease in Ayeyarwaddy Division's Labutta region and as a result paddy and rice prices are likely to stay in higher level. (January 28 news)

Kumudra No. 253 (January 5)

*       Local gold price reached to K424,500 per tical today while world gold price increased to US$630 from $621 per ounce during this week. (January 1 news)
*       Prices of high-end luxury vehicles increased about K10million per unit while prices of low-end vehicles are sluggish. Prices of taxies are also up. (January 1 news)
*       Sale of white cowpea in Mandalay market is up as exporters are collecting with K67,500 per bag in order to export to India and China. (January 1 news)
*       The Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise begins an oil test drilling near Nyaungtone University in Ayeyarwaddy Division's Maubin town. More oil wells will be drilled in that areas base on the success of test drilling. (December 28 news)
*       The Myanma Posts and Telecommunications will install new equipment in its Thaketa and Chawdwingone communication stations in order to amplify the GSM mobile phones communication network. (December 28 news)
*       Wood prices are up due to lesser supply. However trade is notably cooled because of decreased demand from the construction businesses. (December 28 news)
*       Burma and China signed a more than US$88million contract during a December border trade fair held in Muse 105th mile trade zone. The contract will enable Burmese businesses to export more than $13million worth fishery products and about $63.7million worth beans and pulses, sesame and other agricultural products. (December 26 news)
*       There are 17,564 doctors, 34109 nurses and 6106 other medical workers in 2004-05 fiscal year. The medical universities produced about 2,000 general practitioners every year and the country still needed to enlarge its health care workforce, said Professor Dr Myint Myint Khin. (December 20 news)