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Mizzima: Construction Works handed (r)



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      Construction works handed over to private companies in Burma

Rangoon, May 19, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

The constriction works, which were undertaken by the Ministry of
Construction till recently such as Yangon-Mandalay Highway, Pyi-Mandalay
Highway and Magwe airport constriction project, have been handed over to
private companies in Burma since April. The seven private companies
including Asia World, Dagon International Ltd., Olympic and Shwe Than
Lwin have received the contracts from the government for the
construction works.

The Asia World company (whose Managing Director is son of former Opium
Kingpin Lo Hsing Han) has started its project of constructing the Magwe
airport in western part of Burma since the beginning of April. Most of
these private companies have dubious background. For example, the
Olympic Company is linked to Kokang group, which has a cease-fire
agreement with the military government. Its managing director is ethnic
Kokang U Eike Htun.

Mizzima has learnt that the authorities did not make any official
announcement in giving out tenders to these companies. Only when these
companies advertise for job vacancies for such and such work, the people
came to know about the construction works being handed over to the
private companies.

Many road and building construction projects under the Ministry of
Construction, except the bridge projects, have been incomplete and
stopped due to the lack of financial support from the government. Parts
of Pegu-Mandalay Highway, Pyi-Mandalay road and Pegu-Thathon road are
gradually deteriorated and the government does not have funds to repair
and maintain these roads.

Many of the construction works of all the fourteen divisions under the
Ministry of Construction, except Pegu-Hantharwadi Palace project being
done by the construction division (14), are run just as a show-off.

?The government does not sanction budget for the maintenance of highways
in the townships. The people of the townships themselves have to do
maintenance of these highways with their tax money. But again, TPDC
(Township Peace and Development Council)?s allocated money is not enough
even for the salaries of the engineers and thus the authorities collect
money to patch the roads?, said an assistant engineer from the Ministry
of Construction in Rangoon.

With the handover of these construction projects to the private
companies, some people hopes that it will partly solve the country?s
grave unemployment problem. However, many engineers are worried that
there will be no job assurance and stability in the private companies in
Burma where rights of workers are not guaranteed even in public sector.
Moreover, job advertisements in the daily newspapers show that private
companies want only the engineers who have experience of seven or more
years for their projects.



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<center><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+2>Construction works handed
over to private companies in Burma</font></font></b></center>

<p><i><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+1>Rangoon, May 19, 2001</font></font></i>
<br><i><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group (<a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>www.mizzima.com</a>)</font></font></i>
<p><font size=+1>The constriction works, which were undertaken by the Ministry
of Construction till recently such as Yangon-Mandalay Highway, Pyi-Mandalay
Highway and Magwe airport constriction project, have been handed over to
private companies in Burma since April. The seven private companies including
Asia World, Dagon International Ltd., Olympic and Shwe Than Lwin have received
the contracts from the government for the construction works.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The Asia World company (whose Managing Director is son
of former Opium Kingpin Lo Hsing Han) has started its project of constructing
the Magwe airport in western part of Burma since the beginning of April.
Most of these private companies have dubious background. For example, the
Olympic Company is linked to Kokang group, which has a cease-fire agreement
with the military government. Its managing director is ethnic Kokang U
Eike Htun.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Mizzima has learnt that the authorities did not make any
official announcement in giving out tenders to these companies. Only when
these companies advertise for job vacancies for such and such work, the
people came to know about the construction works being handed over to the
private companies.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Many road and building construction projects under the
Ministry of Construction, except the bridge projects, have been incomplete
and stopped due to the lack of financial support from the government. Parts
of Pegu-Mandalay Highway, Pyi-Mandalay road and Pegu-Thathon road are gradually
deteriorated and the government does not have funds to repair and maintain
these roads.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Many of the construction works of all the fourteen divisions
under the Ministry of Construction, except Pegu-Hantharwadi Palace project
being done by the construction division (14), are run just as a show-off.</font>
<p><font size=+1>?The government does not sanction budget for the maintenance
of highways in the townships. The people of the townships themselves have
to do maintenance of these highways with their tax money. But again, TPDC
(Township Peace and Development Council)?s allocated money is not enough
even for the salaries of the engineers and thus the authorities collect
money to patch the roads?, said an assistant engineer from the Ministry
of Construction in Rangoon.</font>
<p><font size=+1>With the handover of these construction projects to the
private companies, some people hopes that it will partly solve the country?s
grave unemployment problem. However, many engineers are worried that there
will be no job assurance and stability in the private companies in Burma
where rights of workers are not guaranteed even in public sector. Moreover,
job advertisements in the daily newspapers show that private companies
want only the engineers who have experience of seven or more years for
their projects.</font>
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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