Myanmar Fuel

The Ministry of Energy is responsible for regulation of the fuel market. The state owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) has the responsibility of quality testing and control of fuel and production of refined petroleum products. The state owned Myanma Petroleum Products Enterprise (MPPE) is responsible for retail and wholesale distribution of petroleum products. Myanmar has oil and gas fields but most reserves are in the form of natural gas, which is Myanmar’s most important source of export earnings.

MOGE is operating three refineries, but the capacity is insufficient to meet national demand of refined products. Since Oct-2009 the government allows the private sector to import petroleum products. The private sector imported more than 24,990 barrels per day in 2013 of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel, with Denko and Myawaddy Trading among the biggest local importers. Most diesel, gasoline and jet fuel is imported from Singapore and Malaysia, while some LPG is being imported from Thailand, especially along the border areas.

Source: Reuters (publisher) Factbos: Myanmar’s oil sector attracts investment, Date accessed: 28 Nov 2014.

260 fuel stations out of 273 operated by MPPE have been privatised on 10 June 2010. Fuel stations sell the following fuel types: diesel, premium diesel, Octane (92), Octane (95) and gasoline. Fuel stations are mostly privately owned, supplied by fuel importers and/or MPPE, or operated by a larger trading company. The most widespread fuel stations belong to: Max Energy, Htoo trading, Nilar Yoma, Myawaddy and KZH petrol station. The government is encouraging use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in order to reduce reliance on imported petroleum products and reduce air pollution. As of 2013, 45 gas stations of which 39 in Yangon offered CNG, mostly used for buses, taxis and commercial vehicles in the industrial and transport sector.

Fuel Pricing

The price of gasoline and diesel has been liberalized in 2012: There is no government controlled pricing mechanism. Fuel prices change according to the international fuel market prices, such as the Singapore Platt's oil price. As of 1 March 2013, the state energy enterprise Myanmar Petroleum Products Enterprise (MPE) distributed gasoline to private fuel stations at a wholesale price of K 3,300 per gallon (K 726 per litre) . Private fuel stations may then sell gasoline to end users at retail prices, which may vary per fuel station. In addition, diesel prices are fixed at K 3,500 per gallon (K 770 per litre), and jet fuel at K 3,864 per gallon (K 850 per litre). It would appear that some forms of subsidy are given for oil, oil products, and natural gas.

Historically fuel has been sold per gallon unit (4.55 Litre), as per 2014 the government instructed fuel companies to sell per litre unit. Diesel, premium diesel and octane can be bought without restrictions, but for private car owners there is a 2 gallon per week limit for gasoline, through use of a smart card issued by MOGE. Most private car owners choose to use Octane (92) or (95) if they can afford the higher price.

Source: WTO (Publisher) Trade Policy Review Myanmar, WT/TPR/S/293, Jan 2014, http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/s293_e.pdf, Date accessed: 30 Nov 2014

Source: Max Energy, http://www.maxenergymyanmar.com, Date: 28 Nov 2014,

Exchange rate 1 Usd: 1030 Kyat

Seasonal Variations 

The government and private company have enough capacity to supply the needs of market; there are no shortages of fuel. 

Fuel Transportation

Gasoline arrives by vessel in Thilawa port in Yangon and from there is distributed by tank trucks. Diesel is transferred from vessels to barges, which travel up-river to Mandalay, from where it is distributed by tank trucks. A petroleum terminal and storage tanks are being constructed in Yangon, to be completed mid-2015, which will increase fuel storage and handling capacity. Current fuel transport capacity can meet the local need and any increase from humanitarian organizations. Damaged roads and bridges can restrict transport by road, especially vulnerable is the corridor to Rakhine state, crossing Arakan mountain (Rakhine Roma).

There is about 2,775 miles of compressed natural gas pipeline and 430 miles gas pipeline offshore. The government is planning to open more CNG filling stations along this pipeline. A 562 mile gas pipeline, which went in operation July-2013 and a crude oil pipeline, expected to be finished in 2014, will transport gas and crude oil from Kyaikpyu in Rakhine state (West Myanmar) to Kunming in China (overland to North-East Myanmar), hereby avoiding higher risk transport for China, by vessel through the straight of Malacca. These two pipelines are expected to provide gas and crude oil to Myanmar as well.

Standards, Quality and Testing

Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) has the responsibility of quality testing and control of fuel. There is no information available on national fuel testing capacity.

4.7 Myanmar Fuel Provider Contact List

Source: Max Energy, http://www.maxenergymyanmar.com, Date: 28 Nov 2014,
Exchange rate 1 Usd: 1030 Kyat

 

 

Myanmar Transporters

The ministry of Rail transportation is responsible for road and rail transport, while the Ministry of Transport is responsible for Maritime transport and civil aviation. The ministry of Construction has set axle weight limits based on ASEAN standards. “With only 6 km of road per 100 km2 of land area, Myanmar’s road networks are very limited compared with most of Asia (World Bank, World Development Indicators). Coupled with the lowest motor vehicle penetration in Southeast Asia (7 vehicles per 1,000 people), this leads to high transport costs and long travel times. As a result, trucking costs for agricultural products are 3–5 times higher than in other Southeast Asian countries”.

In Myanmar, the trucking industry is organized in so-called “gates”. Gates exists in each major city and each gate specializes on one trunk route, e.g. Yangon-Mandalay. Every gate consists of a pool of operators. Membership in the gates is usually not obligatory. Newer and larger operators do generally not participate in the gate system. The gate manager has also the task of consolidating loads. The consolidated cargo is transshipped at a truck park adjacent to the office area. Full truck loads are collected directly at the shipper’s (e.g. factory) premises and do not go through the gate area.

Source:  ADB (publisher) Myanmar unlocking the potential, Aug 2014,, Date accessed 21 Nov 2014.

Commercial transportation services are readily available in Myanmar. The majority of the transporters are found in Yangon, Mandalay, Sittwe, Lashio, Muse and Myawaddy towns. The logistics market is still undeveloped and medium-sized transporters are operating mostly on the primary corridors. Transporters for secondary and tertiary (rural) transport must be sourced locally. Most commercial freight is carried by road because transit times over waterways and railways are unreliable and take more time and airfreight is very expensive.

Although only 38.9% of the total road network is paved (2012 data, ADB Aug 2014) they are in reasonable good condition for general use by trucks and cars. Most of the roads are narrow 1 to 2 lane roads, 24 feet wide, which can slow down traffic when trucks must pass each other, especially at narrow bridges.

The age of the Myanmar trucking fleet varies from new trucks (from the PRC) to old-timers (30+ years). On long-haul routes newer 3 axle (21 MT) and 4-5 axle (34-46 MT) Chinese trucks as well as 7-15 year old, 2-axle, Japanese trucks are dominant (16 MT). Some trucks are left-hand drive but most are right-hand drive. Provision of sea, air or other transport services within the country are restricted to Myanmar’s own transport service companies: Foreign carriers do not have cabotage rights.

Freight rates in Myanmar vary greatly, depending on terrain, competition, truck size and season. Factors that influence freight rates are for example:

• The Yangon-Mandalay road leads through flat terrain and has much competition of transporters, while Yangon-Muse has higher rates because there are fewer transporters available and the route leads through mountainous terrain.
• Mountainous routes can only be operated by smaller trucks, which have higher operating costs and therefor have higher rates.
• Freight rates may go up during Myanmar New Year (April) and rice harvest season (May-July) when there are fewer trucks available and Monsoon season (June-August) when road access is more difficult and can be obstructed. 

 For information and capacity details of Myanmar transporters, please see the following link:

4.8 Myanmar Transporter Contact List

Myanmar Additional Service Provider: Vehicle Rental, Taxi Companies, Freight Forwarding Agents, Handling Equipment, Power Generation and ISPs

There are sufficient vehicle rental, taxi’s and freight forwarding agents available. There is a warehouse available for rent on the private market, but they normally do not include any warehouse equipment. Most warehouse equipment is available on the local market, except for pallets. There are three telecommunications providers but only one who provides and manages the Internet back-bone service: Myanma Post and Telecommunications (MPT).

 4.11 Myanmar Additional Services Contact List

Vehicle Rental

Since 2011, when the government lifted restrictions on vehicle imports, there are a sufficient number of vehicles for rent on the private market: luxury 4x4, taxi, trucks, against reasonable rates. Vehicles have to be hired with services of a driver. Rental rates normally include the costs of the fuel, tour gate fees, accommodation & meals for the driver, but this should be confirmed case by case.

Taxi Companies

There are only a few taxi companies in Myanmar. Most taxis are privately owned and operated, government registered, without taximeters. There are many vehicle rental companies, who may offer taxi services as well, but usually rent out on a daily basis.

Freight Forwarding Agents

In Myanmar, 90% of international cargo is carried by ship and freight forwarding agents are readily available. Freight forwarding agent contacts can be found in the Myanmar service provider contact list.

Handling Equipment 

Handling equipment such as forklift trucks, hydraulic jacks, pallet trucks and chain blocks can be purchased locally in Myanmar. It is difficult to find good quality (plastic) pallets locally. Wooden locally made pallets can be found, but can be of inferior quality.

Electricity and Power 

Electricity in Myanmar is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. If you travel to Myanmar with a device that does not accept 230 Volts at 50 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter/transformer.

The government controls electrical power distribution in Myanmar. About 70% of the population still has no access to grid electricity, and even Yangon and other major cities continue to experience regular power outages. Rural electrification rates are a concern, especially in the states of Tanintharyi and Kayin, where electrification rates are below 10%. The current capacity of electricity generating plants is insufficient to meet growing domestic demand. Hydropower is the main source of electricity generation, but during the dry season hydropower plants cannot operate at full capacity causing periods of load shedding.

Electricity tariffs are one of the lowest in South East Asia, but do not reflect the true costs of electricity generation requiring the government to cover the shortfall. Private households applying for a connection face long waiting times and a high connection fee of MK100,000.

Source: , ADB (publisher) Myanmar unlocking the potential, Aug 2014, Date accessed 21 Nov 2014.

List of power stations in Myanmar:

[1] Source:  VDB|Loi (Publisher) The legal and regulatory framework of foreign investment in Myanmar’s power sector, 25 April 2014., Date accessed: 28 Nov 2014.

 

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

Myanma Post and Telecommunication (MPT), a government company, is the only enterprise managing the Internet backbone in Myanmar and providing Internet services. There are other private companies, namely Redlink and Yatanarpon providing Internet services to the public who purchase bandwidth from MPT and resell it to the public.

There is no reliable Internet connection available in Myanmar. Even in Yangon, the provider does not guarantee the reliability. They will not take responsibility for the quality of service and connectivity timeouts. Outside the three main cities, Internet connectivity is significantly worse. Sometimes in regional towns data over the 2 or 3G mobile phone network can serve as a backup for failing wired & wifi connections. However data infrastructure is improving very fast and there may be improved connectivity established sometime in 2015.

MPT and Yatanarpon offer VSAT service (iPstar), but the quality is generally poor and the link is unstable.

Website: http://www.mpt.com.mm/en/

 

Website: http://www.redlink.net.mm

Website: http://www.yatanarpon.net.mm/

4.11 Myanmar Additional Services Contact List

Myanmar Manual Labor Costs

The Township Labour Exchange Office, under the Ministry of Labour sets the minimum wages and recommended labour rate. The Township Labour Exchange Office can be found at ports where they can organize and provide daily labourers for loading and off-loading. The Labour Exchange office does not assume responsibility for the daily workers, it does not work as a labour agency. The Township Labour Exchange Office is not active at other working areas such as high way compound, railway stations and commercial markets. If daily labourers are needed there, they have to be hired outside and price should be negotiated with them according to the market price. The labour charges across Myanmar do not vary very much. Finding skilled labour in Myanmar is not easy because there is a shortage.

The labour rates in Ayeyarwaddy Division for unskilled labour:

• 3000 MMK/day for a woman
• 3000 – 5000 MMK/day for a man, depending on the work.
• 150 MMK per 50kg bag, within 40m distance.
• If the distance is over 40m, labour charge will rise according to the distance.

Daily worker rates in Dawei, Tanintharyi region:

• Unskilled: 5000 MMK/day for a man
• 150 MMK per 50kg bag, within 40m distance.
• Skilled labour: 12000 MMK/day

 “Workers are granted 14 public holidays (listed by the law) with full payment; full-paid 10 consecutive days of annual leave after 12 months of work with 20 working days in each month; 6 days of causal leave each year with full payment with a maximum of 3 days at one time; and 30 days of sick leave on medical certificate with full salary after 6-month service or without pay for workers employed for less than 6 months. (Leave and Holiday Act (1951)). Normal working hours 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week, though with some variations such as 35 hours for government employees, 40 hours for underground mining workers and 48 hours for shops and service workers. (Factories Act (1951)).”

Source:  Asia Monitor Resource Centre (Publisher) Labour laws in Myanmar, May 2014,, Date accessed: 4 Dec 2014.

Myanmar Telecommunications 

4.11 Myanmar Additional Services Contact List

 

Myanmar lags far behind the rest of Southeast Asia, with the lowest Internet, mobile, and telephone usage rates. The Information and Communication Technology infrastructure is weak. The 2012 World Development Indicators showed that only 1% of the population had access to fixed lines. Mobile subscription rates at 11%, although rising, are low by regional comparison. Internet access is only at 1% of the population.

 

Until 2013 telecommunications used to be a monopoly of the government enterprise Myanma Post and Telecommunication (MPT). Since 2013 two private mobile phone companies entered the market, Ooredoo and Telenor. They provide mobile phone service through their own network, which does not yet offer countrywide coverage. The internet backbone is being managed by MPT and there are a few companies that provide internet services by reselling bandwidth of MPT.

 

Mobile sim-cards, 3G with data, can be bought easily, but it is difficult to get a landline. MPT has difficulties extending the infrastructure for the landline network. Mobile sim card cost approximately 1500 MMK while a new landline connection costs over 500,000 MMK.

 

 

Telecommunication Regulation

 

Organisations must apply for a Telecommunications Equipment licence and for allocation of radio frequencies with the Post and Telecommunications Department, under the Ministry of Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), in accordance with the Telecommunications law, 8 Oct 2013. Equipment requiring a telecommunications license are: UHF, HF and VHF radio’s, UHF/VHF repeaters, VSAT and satellite telephone and RBGAN equipment.

 

Source: (Publisher) MCIT , Date accessed: 4 Dec 2014.

 

No solid, standard procedure exists at the moment to apply for telecommunications equipment licenses. The UN has applied through the Foreign Economic Relations Department (FERD) and the Ministry of Border Affairs (Natala) to the Ministry of Communications for licenses for their radio equipment. A government board of the Ministry of Communications makes the decisions on a case-by-case basis and the duration of the process is unpredictable. The UN applied for a countrywide radio license for the UN as a whole, in 2011-‘12 and to-date (e.o. 2014) the application has not yet been approved. UNDSS has tried to start separately a parallel application process since 2013, but also they have had no success yet.

 

 

 

 

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems

 

UN agencies in Myanmar use VHF, HF, HF-Repeaters and VSAT. Some Agencies share their connections with sister agencies. UNDP share their VSAT connection with UNFPA, UNDSS, UNHABITAT and UNESCO. All agencies share UNDSS HF-radio repeaters in Yangon. In project operations area’s UNDSS and WFP have setup repeaters for the UN shared frequencies, which can be used by other UN agencies. These repeaters are managed by UNDSS and WFP.

 

INGOs in Myanmar do not use the UN frequencies and generally they don’t use HF and VHF radios.

 

4.11 Myanmar Additional Services Contact List

 

Overview

Myanmar’s economic growth expected to continue and the retail and wholesale sector is likely to continue to expand.. However, the Myanmar retail sector is still highly fragmented with more than 90% of its business being carried out by traditional family-run small stores. 70% of the population of Myanmar live in rural areas (2014 Myanmar census), with mostly access to market stands and individually/family owned stores that have a limited selection of products. Most consumers in urban areas still rely on wet markets and traditional grocery shops for their food needs, although modern retail market continues to grow in the country.

The retail sector does not offer or use credit since the collapse of 2003 banking crisis in the country. According to a survey conducted by Visa Myanmar, only half of Myanmar urban consumers are aware of credit cards[1] since its reintroduction to the market in 2016. Poor infrastructure and high transport costs negatively impact the price of local food crops since smallholder farmers have limited transport options and market access as they live in remote rural areas. They normally sell their harvests to local brokers or small traders that has better transport means and collect the paddy to their mills. Old milling equipment that is still being used also contributes to low quality broken rice.

Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation is supporting the farmer in Bago and Ayeyarwaddy regions in term of agricultural cultivation development, water saving technology, soil management and so on. INGO/NGO such as IRRI, Lutheran World Federation, Metta Development Foundation are also supporting the farmer in different areas.

For additional overviews of food availability and market conditions, please consult the following sources:

WFP Vulnerability and Analysis Mapping (VAM): http://vam.wfp.org/CountryPage_overview.aspx?iso3=MMR

USAID Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET): not available.

SPHERE standard in Food Security and Nutrition:

http://www.spherehandbook.org/en/minimum-standards-in-food-security-and-nutrition/

 Myanmar Food Processing and Trade Associations contacts:

http://marketinfo.trade.gov.mm/eng/TradeAssociations_All.aspx?cat=3&&scid=2&&n=Goods%20Industry%20associations

Myanmar’s Agriculture Sector, ADB, Dec 2015: http://www.adb.org/publications/myanmar-agriculture-sector-potential-inclusive-growth

4.11 Myanmar Additional Services Contact List

Retail Sector

According to USDA report dated 2018, traditional trade dominates the market with 90% share and about 10% for modern trade. Traditional trade consists of wholesale traders selling to small retail shops and modern trade through large supermarkets. The market share of modern trade is expected to growth 25% in 2020 (https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Retail%20Foods_Rangoon_Burma%20-%20Union%20of_9-21-2018.pdf).  The importers, wholesalers and distributors are the major sourcing channel for the retailer. Large retailers such as City Mart and Capital have their own import unit that can source large volumes of products from overseas especially toiletry and fabric products. Other products such as snacks and beverages sources from wholesalers/local manufacturers and distributors like Premium distribution, Pahtama Group, Unilever, Nestle, DKSH, Grand Twin Brothers, etc. However, for fresh food they source locally through wholesaler, traders and small-scale supplier. Foods are often imported from Singapore, Malaysia, China and Thailand via Yangon Port and borders.

 

 

In the case of rice, Myanmar has different variety of rice produced in different states/regions at different timeline. Myanmar itself is listed as the top eighth global rice exporter in 2019. There is no significant impact on sourcing shortage on the retailers regardless of the events. However, some imported products may lead to seasonal price increase especially in April (Myanmar New Year period) and in December (New Year period).

Primary Food Commodities 

As part of the Inter-Agency Emergency Response Preparedness Plan Myanmar (2015), the Food Security Sector agreed on the primary food commodities part of a food basket equivalent to 2,100Kcal per person/day, to be provided through a General Food Distribution (GFD) during emergency response. These items are High Energy Biscuits (HEB) and the four commodities: rice, pulses, oil and salt.
Ref: http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/inter-agency-emergency-response-preparedness-plan-erpp-myanmar-updated-june-2015

 

 

If other food commodities are required, the items considered should meet the minimum SPHERE standards in Food Security and Nutrition. See:

 http://www.spherehandbook.org/en/minimum-standards-in-food-security-and-nutrition/

 

Some food items could have cultural or palatability issues, such as: Therapeutic milk, yeast, canned pork, ghee, textured soy protein, cassava flour, barley, buckwheat, maize, maize-meal, oats, quinoa, infant formula, sorghum/millet, bulgur wheat, faffa, inka mix, likuni phala, lacto soya blend, api, halawa.

**For Non-FOOD products please see section 3.5.2, and for FUEL/PETROLEUM products please see section 3.1

 

Wholesale – Rice 

Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF)

Formed in 2012, represents the private sector of Myanmar Rice Millers Association (MRMA), Myanmar Rice & Paddy Traders Association (MRPTA), Myanmar Paddy Producers Association (MPPA), Myanmar’s Farmers Association (MFA), Myanmar Fertilizer, Seed and Pesticide Entrepreneurs Association (MFSPEA) and Rice Specialization Companies (RSC). MRF has sufficient funds to procure 5,000 tons of rice as operational arm of Myanmar’s government financial grain reserve.

 

Wholesale – Pulses

 

 

Wholesale – RSB+ – Gold Power Co. Ltd

WFP carried out local procurement of Rice Soya Blend plus (RSB+) from 2010 to 2015. It ended in 2015, as import was more cost effective than local procurement.

Wholesale – Biscuits

WFP carried out local procurement of Rice Soya Blend plus (RSB+) from 2010 to 2015. It ended in 2015 as import was more cost effective than local procurement.

Retail – Supermarkets / convenience stores

Supermarkets and convenience stores are operating mostly only in large urban areas, such as Yangon and Mandalay. These can be a potential source for wholesale canned foods, food-ready-to-eat, eggs and perishable food.
The largest chains or groups in the country are:

• ABC Convenience stores, owned by MIB group, with about 100 convenience stores in Yangon and Mandalay.
• City Mart supermarket and City Express convenience stores, owned by City Mart Holding co.
• Grab & Go convenience stores, 20 in Yangon, and Capital Hypermarket, owned by Capital Diamond Star Group (CDSG).

Wholesale – Instant Noodles

Yum Yum Noodles, Cho Cho rice vermicelli by Yathar Cho Industry Ltd. and Mama Noodles by Ayeyarwaddy Food co. ltd / MK Distribution co. are the largest instant noodles brands produced locally. Other brands are imported.

Wholesale – Canned fish

 

Wholesale – Salt

Wholesale – Sugar

Sugar cane is produced and milled locally, primarily in Mandalay, Bago and Mon state

Wholesale – Eggs

Eggs are mostly available from wet markets. C.P. Livestock is a large chicken breeder in Yangon and Mandalay who may provide eggs wholesale.

Wholesale – Agricultural Commodities market

Bayint Naung Market located in North Western Yangon, is the largest agricultural commodities trading market in Myanmar. Established in 1990, the market complex consists of two-story shop houses with floor areas of 1200 and 2,400 square feet (220 sq.m.). It is the only legally permitted wholesale center of beans and pulses in the country.

 

Main Food Suppliers

 

Locally produced rice, beans and pulses are generally available in the local market. Rice is the main staple food consumed in Myanmar. Corn and wheat-based food products are less consumed. 50% of Corn are produce in Shan State in the eastern part of country and 14 % in Sagain region in the central part of country. The rest are produced in Ayeyarwady region. Popularity of instant noodles, such as Yum Yum, Ma Ma and Wai Wai brands, has been growing. Emergency food package of Department of Disaster Management (DDM) also include the instant noodles.

Key agricultural products produced locally and for exportation are rice, beans and pulses. Fortified edible oil, such as used by World Food Programme, cannot be procured in Myanmar due to low production rate and high local consumption. Myanmar imported 70% of edible oil mostly from Malaysia and Indonesia yearly[3]. Ready to Eat products and fortified high-energy biscuits for the humanitarian sector are not commonly available. Fortified Corn Soya Blend (CSB or Super Cereal) cannot be found on the local market. Rice Soya Blend (RSB) is produced locally by United New Generation company (any website for United New Generation can be inserted here). 

Accommodation

Hotel accommodation and housing can be found easily but at higher cost as in neighboring East Asian countries. In the tourist high season (November to February) there can be a shortage of hotel rooms, especially in Yangon. Housing can be found through real estate agents and brokers. However, there are several hotels that most UN agencies and international organizations recommend for their visitors. These hotels, to the extent possible, can be assumed to have met safety and security standards that are observed by the respective international agencies. The hotels are listed below by locations:

 

Additional Operational Support

Humanitarian support items (non-food items) such as tents, water pumps, pipes, water tanks, jerry cans, blankets, plastic sheeting, office furniture, cooking utensils are readily available on the local market to meet local demand. This allows humanitarian organizations to source locally via long-term agreements and reduce lead-time. Specific items, such as blankets and plastic sheeting, are locally produced. But other items, such as tents, jerry cans and buckets may be imported from China, India, or Thailand due to competitive price and quality. In case of emergencies, locally available humanitarian support items would probably be exhausted quickly, which may require aid agencies to source regionally from suppliers in the neighboring countries, mainly China and India.

 

[1] https://myanmar.visa.com/dam/VCOM/regional/ap/myanmar/newsroom/documents/financial-education-for-sustainable-growth-en.pdf

[2] https://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/annual-edible-oil-consumption-crosses-1-mln-tons-trade-body/#:~:text=Myanmar's%20annual%20edible%20oil%20consumption,oil%20has%20to%20be%20imported.

[3] https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/myanmar-has-to-import-70-of-cooking-oil

MYANMAR Waste Management and Disposal Providers

Waste management in Myanmar falls under responsibility of the City Development Committees in Yangon, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and the Township Development Committees in the townships (of 285 townships countrywide). Waste collection services and management activities are undertaken independently by each development committee, therefor waste management practices may vary from one township to another. Generally waste management is not as high a priority as other development priorities. Budgets for waste management are usually low.

Solid waste collection in Myanmar is labour intensive and relies on manual collection with non-specialized vehicles, ranging from pushcarts to garbage trucks. There are only six existing dumping sites in Myanmar, which are in Hlaw Gar township, Shwe Pyi Thar township, Htain Bin township, Data township, Kyi Su township and Htawe Chaung township.

Some materials such as paper, plastic and glass are collected separately from municipal waste and recycled by the city development committee. Small paper mills, glass factories and plastic industry are recycling these materials into new products. Myanmar does not yet have a large problem with environmental pollution due to a relatively undeveloped industrial sector and low population density.

Laws that relate to waste management in Myanmar are:

1. The Yangon Water-Work Act (1885)

2. The City of Yangon Municipal Act (1922)

3. The Water Power Act (1927)

4. The Underground Water Act (1930)

5. The City of Yangon Development Law (1990)

6. The Development Committees Law (1993)

7. The City of Mandalay Development Law (2002)

8. The Nay Pyi Taw Development Law (2009)

For information on Myanmar Waste management and disposal providers contact details, please see the following link: 

4.11 Myanmar Additional Services Contact List

Waste Disposal – Non Hazardous

Non hazardous waste collection Systems in Myanmar consists of house-to-house collection, centralised collection at a communal waste depot or communal block and limited collection for specialised or specific waste.

Sewage and black water is mostly collected in septic tank systems, pit latrines, or flows untreated into surface waters. There are only a few wastewater treatment plants, in Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon city, which connect only a small part of the city to a conventional sewage system.

Waste Disposal - Hazardous

Consumer Electronics such as TVs, Computer equipment and DVD players that contain toxic metals and chemicals may be reused and recycled. These are collected and recycled by the city or township development committees.

There is no specific government institution assigned with the task of overall management of toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes. There are sectoral laws and regulations related to management of toxic chemicals and legislation such as the Factories Act (1951) and Public Health Law (1972) which are related to management of hazardous waste

 

 

 

Overview

There are sufficient vehicle rental, taxi’s and freight forwarding agents available in Myanmar. There are warehouses available for rent on the private market, but they normally do not include any handling equipment. Most warehouse equipment is available on the local market, except pallets are in short supply.

There are three telecommunications providers but only one who provides and manages the Internet back-bone service: Myanma Post and Telecommunications (MPT). Myanmar’s economy is predominantly cash-based and in 2014 only 23% of the adult population had access to a bank account. As of 2015 the country has 27 national banks and 9 foreign banks.

For more information on company contact details, please see the following link: 4.11 Myanmar Additional Services Contact List

Financial Service Providers

The financial sector in Myanmar is the least developed of all countries in Southeast Asia. Key infrastructure including payment and settlement systems are in progress but not yet in place, while regulatory capacity is somewhat stretched. However, due to recent reforms, the sector has undergone major changes, including the entry of foreign-owned banks and introduction of legislation to promote mobile financial services. After an absence of foreign banks of five decades the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) granted approval in 2014 to nine foreign banks to operate in Myanmar.

The economy is predominantly cash-based. In the many areas where formal financial institutions are not present, people rely on pawnshops, hundi money transfers or other informal providers of financial services – often paying significantly higher rates.

As of December 2015, the country counted 4 state banks, 23 private banks (nine of which are semi-government institutions), 9 foreign bank branches and 48 representative offices of foreign banks. The four state- owned banks own 64% of the banking system’s assets. According to World Bank, in 2014 an estimated 23% of the adult population (17% women) in Myanmar had access to an account at a formal financial institution. Geographical coverage of bank locations is poor as there are 0.57 ATMs and 3.1 bank branches per 100,000 adults, rural coverage is limited. 


In December 2013, CBM introduced legislation allowing local banks to engage in mobile banking. The legislation limits both transaction values and number of transactions per day. Mobile

Phone use is growing exponentially in the country and represents a powerful potential vehicle for increasing financial inclusion and reaching rural populations. However progress remains slow as no service has yet shown extensive uptake or geographic coverage in terms of agents. The expected launch of mobile money services through bank/mobile money operator partnerships through Telenor and Ooredoo may change the landscape for mobile money dramatically.

 

Table 1: State-owned banks

Table 2: 10 Largest private banks in terms of assets

Table 3: Foreign-owned banks

Table 4: List of Mobile Financial Services in Myanmar

*Innwa Bank currently appears on list of U.S.-sanctioned banks

Ref: https://www.giz.de/en/downloads/giz2015-en-myanmar-financial-sector.pdf

Ref: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/FB.CBK.BRCH.P5

Ref: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/special-features/194-your-money-2014/11064-who-s-getting-in.html

Ref: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/12606-mobile-banking-race-heats-up-with-mykyat.html

Ref: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/special-features/194-your-money-2014/11063-mobile-banking-pushes-toward- financial-inclusion.html
Ref: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/technology/17579-telenor-and-yoma-bank-test-mobile-money- service.html

Ref: http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/analysis/mobile-financial-services-and-knowledge-based-apps-hit-market

Ref: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/burma.pdf

Financial Service Providers

This section lists the 10 largest banks of Myanmar in terms of assets. These State-owned and Private banks operate countrywide and do not have international branches. Foreign-owned banks with international branches only began operations in 2015 and do not yet operate countrywide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.