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Hundreds of thousands of kyats were lost in Myanmar exports due to the suspension of traffic on Myawaddy Dawna Taung Kyaw Road

Hundreds of thousands of Myanmar have lost their livelihoods since the March 27 halt on the Myawaddy-Dona-Taung-Kyaw Road, an important trade route on the Burma-Thailand border, according to border traders. More than 1,000 small and large vehicles, including passenger cars, were stopped on March 27 while transporting goods to and through Thailand through the Myawaddy border trade point, which trades most with Thailand.

According to a border trader, the shootings at the border trade route cause hundreds of thousands of damage to Burmese agricultural products every day. Myanmar agricultural products from Myawaddy to Thailand, such as raw peppers, peanuts and onions, cannot be stored for long. Onions are shipped to Vietnam and Laos.

Myanmar maize crop is also unaffordable and the Thai market is understaffed. Imports of soft drinks and foodstuffs to the domestic market were reduced two months ago due to restrictions on imports, but imports of steel, tin, cement and other urgent necessities were reduced. Traffic on the Dona Taung Kyaw trade route, which carries about 300 trucks daily, has been suspended since March 27 and is awaiting reopening.

Source: Daily Eleven

By March 2022, more than 40 vessels of international shipping lines are scheduled to enter Yangon ports, and more than 40 ships have already arrived

By March 2022, a total of 50 container vessels of international shipping lines are scheduled to enter Yangon ports, and more than 40 vessels have already arrived. In January and February 2022, a total of 97 container vessels from 13 international shipping lines entered Yangon ports, according to data released by the Myanmar Ports Authority. In January 2022, 49 container vessels of 13 shipping lines will be deployed at Yangon ports to increase imports to meet domestic demand. In February, 48 container vessels from 13 shipping lines arrived. According to data released by the Myanmar Ports Authority, it is planned to expand the services of various container carriers in order to increase open season exports and increase imports according to domestic demand.

More international container vessels and general cargo ships have arrived at Yangon ports since May 2021, handling more than 11,000 containers and 115,000 metric tons of general cargo, according to the Myanmar Ports Authority. Shipments and cargo handling have risen since May, handling more than 11,000 containers and 115,000 metric tons of general cargo. From June to the end of November, more than 40 container vessels entered the country. Maersk Line Myanmar (Sealand Maersk) has launched three new container vessels since 2021 to meet the needs of the maritime trade. The new ships launched by Maersk Line Myanmar are the Maersk Norberg, Maersk Narvik and Maersk Nesna. 

Of the three ships, the Maersk Norberg will dock at MITT and MIP ports, and the Launching Ceremony was held on June 10, 2021 at MIP Port. The three new vessels will have a capacity of 1,750 TEU 21,000 metric tons (9.5 meters in depth) and were built specifically for the Myanmar market. With the expansion of these new container vessels, there will be enough space & equipment for exports and shipments will not have to wait for a booking. The discovery of a new waterway on the Yangon River has allowed international vessels to enter and leave the port of Thilawa, which has been allowed to increase its restriction. According to a statement from the Myanmar Ports Authority, 152 ships carrying more than 30,000 tonnes entered Rangoon port and Thilawa port within five months of the new tide restrictions being extended due to the discovery of a new waterway on the Yangon River.

Source: Daily Eleven

Yepokegyi Village, a potential tourist destination in the future

Yepokegyi Village in Pwintbyu Township, Magway Region, has become famous for its children who preserve the traditional San-yit-wine hairstyle (a style of hairdo with a top knot and a circular fringe). Children in this village, both boys and girls, traditionally keeps this hairstyle from five years of age until they become fifteen or sixteen.

The name “Yepokegyi” is derived from “Yezalokegyi” which refers to the lake in the form of a bird’s crop located on the east side of the village. The village is eight miles from Shauktaw Village and can be accessed within a 25-minute drive from Pwintbyu. Despite the improved village roads, expansion of schools and the rising standard of living, children are retaining their cultural heritage, the hairdo, which are attracting more and more tourists.

The village is now home to more than 700 residents with the San-yit-wine hairstyle out of the 3,400 total population, according to U Lu Win, the village administrator. The elders of the village said that this traditional hairdo has been kept in Yepokegyi village for about 200 years. Due to the beauty of the lake, the village monastery, smooth roads, young women fetching water and weaving, it is going to be a tourist destination for photographers, painters and tourists who are looking for this kind of cultural characteristics. 

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Gold trading volume data collected under guidance of steering committee

Under the guidance of the Monitoring and Steering Committee on Gold and Currency Market, the gold trading volume data is being collected, said Chair U Myo Myint of the Yangon Region Gold Entrepreneurs Association (YGEA). The data of the trading volume of the gold and jewellery shops in the Yangon Region and the association’s trading data have to be reported to the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC).

The committee held a meeting on 12 March and the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar directed us to collect the actual trading figure of the gold trading in the region, whether it is export to India or Thailand or anywhere else. If the trading data is compiled, the officials concerned will take necessary measures to enhance the gold market to meet the international standard, U Myo Myint elaborated. There is no accurate data on gold exports, he added.

The officials of the committee, subcommittee, Myanmar Gold Entrepreneurs Association and YGEA discussed matters regarding gold trading and export market data on 11 March 2022. The meeting highlighted matters concerning the gold production condition, trading situations, export and domestic trading data, formation of separate teams to conduct the inspection tour to set the standards in line with the international criteria, determining the duties and responsibilities of the pricing, inspecting the trading situations of the importers and exporters along with the related financial institutions and other coordination matters in respect of the subcommittees. 

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar