Book publishers weather big fall in sales: BOOK publishers are optimistic about sales prospects this year despite a sharp contraction in the market at the end of 2003, industry representatives said last week.U Myo Nyunt from Sarpay Lawka Publishing House said sales at its six retail outlets had ended 2003 down about 50 per cent on the start of the year... Productive year, says India envoy: RELATIONS between Myanmar and India were ?particularly eventful and productive” last year, the Indian ambassador, Mr Rajiv Bhatia, said in an interview with Myanmar Times last week... Sharp fall in opium production predicted: THE cultivation of opium poppies will continue to decline sharply this year, a senior official with the government?s Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control has predicted.Police Colonel Hkam Awng, the committee?s joint secretary, said the destruction of more than 4000 acres of poppy fields by law enforcement authorities in southern Shan State,... Massive natural gas reserve confirmed in Rakhine State: STATE-RUN media has reported the discovery of a huge natural gas reserve in the Bay of Bengal off the Rakhine State capital, Sittwe.Three government-owned dailies reported on January 16 that a test well showed that the reserve contained up to 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas... INSIDE THIS WEEK, ICT 2004: ?THERE is no doubt. Myanmar?s information and communication technology sector is moving forward,” said U Pyone Maung Maung... THE growing number of software programmers in Myanmar has increased the options for big businesses and organisations that... DESPITE increasing internet access and familiarity, web developers in Myanmar still face considerable challenges in convincing local,.. AS applications on the internet become richer in content, the need for improved broadband access is growing dramatically... Governor of Indian state on goodwill visit: THE Governor of India?s eastern state of West Bengal, Mr Viren Shah, arrived in Yangon on January 15 for a week-long goodwill visit, an Indian diplomatic source said last week... BIMST-EC members to sign free trade agreement: MYANMAR will sign a framework agreement on free trade among the five member nations of the BIMST-Economic Cooperation forum at the first summit of its leaders in Thailand early next month, a senior government official said last week... Hybrid maize supplier sees bright outlook for exports: Mr Winai Heyman, deputy general manger of the CP Yangon Company Limited, said Bangladesh, China and Thailand need to import about two million tonnes of maize a year giving Myanmar a huge potential export market... More foreign tourists at Naga festival: ORGANISERS have welcomed an increase in the number of foreign tourists at the fourth annual Naga festival held in the picturesque mountain country of northern Sagaing Division earlier this month... Myanmar to benefit from Asian free trade agreement: A FREE trade agreement between Myanmar, Thailand and South Asian countries would have significant benefits in the form of increased trade, economic development and regional integration, say industry and trade experts. [Fullstory] Bangladesh to hold trade fair in Yangon. ?The Commerce ministries of Myanmar and Bangladesh will discuss the facilitation and promotion of trade between the two countries,” said Mr Eusuf Ali, first secretary of the Bangladeshi embassy... Draft code means earthquake-proof buildings will become national norm: MYANMAR is finalising a draft code governing structural designs for high-rises, according to a senior member of the Myanmar construction sector.U Than Myint, the secretary of the Committee for Quality Control of High-rise Building Construction Projects, said the code will be enacted as soon as possible.