HOUSE OF THE WEEK
A Golden Valley white out
UNBEKNOWST to Myanmar’s diligent meteorological department, an extremely localised snowstorm has carpeted the interior of this two-storey Golden Valley house. more
Yangon’s taxi drivers tightening their belts
YANGON’S 20,000-plus taxi drivers are finding it harder and harder to make a living, as taxi numbers increase, the number of potential passengers falls, and more and more time is spent waiting to fill the tank, drivers say. (Volume 26, No. 506)
National body to strengthen rice industry
MYANMAR’S leading rice producers, traders and exporters have joined forces to make the country’s rice industry more competitive with regional rivals like Vietnam and Thailand. (Volume 26, No. 506)
High demand behind FEC rate rise
HIGH demand for Myanmar’s Foreign Exchange Certificates (FEC) in local trade is pushing the currency’s value above the US dollar, industry sources say. (Volume 26, No. 506)
Downtown demand holds firm in tricky times
YANGON’S bustling downtown area generally defied the cool breeze that blew over the city’s real estate, industry professionals said. (Volume 26, No. 50)
Gold market recovers with harvest
SEASONAL demand has revived the gold market, said U Kyaw Win, secretary of the Myanmar Gold Entrepreneurs Association (MGEA). January is the harvest time for a number of important crops including rice, onions and watermelon. (Volume 26, No. 506)
Rice prices increase
RICE prices have increased by K1000 to K2000 a bag (one bag weighs 49 kilograms or 108 pounds) since the first week of January, wholesalers at Bayintnaung Wholesale Commodity Exchange Centre said last week. (Volume 26, No. 506)
Painters finding more work beyond Yangon
NAY PYI TAW and Mandalay are overtaking Yangon when it comes to external decoration, construction industry insiders say. (Volume 26, No. 506)
Low cost housing project starts in Thanlyin
FOR just US$2000, or K2 million, you could be the owner of a 2400-square-foot plot of housing land in Thanlyin township. The land is in the Myat Yadana low-cost housing project, part of the Thanlyin-Kyauktan development project jointly run by the Department of Human Settlements and Housing Development (DHSHD) and the Nay La general services cooperative. The project will start identifying plots for sale at the end of January. . (Volume 26, No. 506)
Dept of Fisheries looks to breed salmon, sturgeon in Kachin State
CAVIAR and smoked salmon could soon be on the menu if a Department of Fisheries (DOF) plan comes to fruition in coming years. (Volume 26, No. 505)
Sales continue to attract bargain hunters
CUSTOMERS are flocking to New Year sales, rivalling the shopping boom usually seen in this country before major local festivals like Thingyan, say industry sources. (Volume 26, No. 505)
Wireless phone network reaches Sagaing Division
RESIDENTS in five rural townships within Sagaing Division are the first beneficiaries of a Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) plan to improve countrywide communications, according to the company supplying the technology. (Volume 26, No. 505)
200,000 celebrate Manaw festival
THIS year’s Kachin Manaw festival in Myitkyina drew more than 200,000 local and foreign visitors, U Sann Aung, the secretary of the festival’s organising committee told The Myanmar Times last week.
‘Reintegrate with world rice market’:economist
A LEADING economist has called for the creation of a working group of experts to spearhead a push to increase Myanmar’s rice exports.
Foreign minister pledges free election
DANANG, Vietnam – Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Nyan Win has told Southeast Asian counterparts that promised elections would be held this year and would be fair, the ASEAN secretary general said on January 14.
Hair donations help communities repair road
HARD work requires blood and sweat but a road project close to Monywa is also calling for hair too. The road that stretches from Le Nague to Chin Pyit in Sagaing Division was in poor condition until local communities, organised by the venerable monk Sayadaw Waiponla, got together to raise over K100 million to repair it by selling their own hair.
MEMBERS of the Yadanarbon FC football team celebrate winning the Myanmar National League title at Yangon’s Thuwanna Stadium on January 16. Mandalay-based Yadanarbon won the title by three points despite losing their final match to Yangon United FC 2-0. Pic: Hein Latt Aung 
MNL players return to ministerial positions
THIRTY-TWO players from the Myanmar National League (MNL), including some of the league’s top stars, have chosen to resign from their clubs and return to their jobs in government ministries at the end of the current domestic season.
Delta United loses sight of the MNL championship
DELTA United FC fell well short of the five goals required against Okkthar United FC, eliminating them as championship contenders for the season, January 14.