Electrical industry of burma/myanmar

NEW INDUSTRY MINISTRY TO OVERSEE DEVELOPMENTS IN ELECTRONICS FIELD

NLM, 15/09/11. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/NLM2011-09-15.pdf

During the session of the People’s Chamber (Pythu Hluttaw) of the Parliament on 14/09/11, U Aung Thein Lin of South Okkalapa constituency asked about the Ministry Industrial Development that was formed under the Union Government. He wanted to know what role the ministry would take in the economic development of Myanmar, what industries would be put into service, what benefits would accrue to the citizens of Myanmar, and what effects the new arrangements would have on state-run and privately-run industries.
In reply, the Minister for Myanma Industrial Development, Lt-Gen Thein Htay said the Industrial Development Ministry of the Union Government had been set up to deal with matters related to the development of technology, the capital needs of industrial development, energy demands and the need for industrial raw materials, as these were prime factors necessary to bring about national economic development in both the private and public sectors under the market-oriented system practised by the State. He said the Ministry was focussed on three areas with regard to the development of technology-based and knowledge-based industries: 1) the mechanical industry complex, 2) the electronics industry complex and 3) the aviation and aerospace industry complex.
The main purpose of the Ministry, he said, was not to produce consumer goods but to provide the capital goods needed for industrial development by building up source (or mother) industries that could spur the formation of industries and machines essential for the economic development of Myanmar.
With regard to a question from an [unnamed] representative regarding the Ayeyawady-Myitsone hydropower project, Minister Thein Htay said the project was important in meeting energy demands for the economic development of the State as it would be be able to generate a total of about 18,000 MW. To generate this amount of electricity, it would be necessary to build about 20 nuclear reactors. Since a nuclear reactor costs about US$ 1 billion to build, it would require an expenditure of about US$20 billion to generate an equivalent amount of electricity. There were also safety considerations to be taken into consideration in shutting down nuclear reactors, the minister said.
Hydel power is renewable energy and the world welcomes it, as it is also a green energy. The hydropower plant would use only about seven per cent of the water of the Ayeyawady River and there was no point in worrying over damage to the river. A systematic assessment had been carried out for the project. What was needed was to draw separate plans for the conservation of the Ayeyawady River and these plans had already been made.
Additional references
See below: ‘Yadanbon cyber city slated for soft opening in September’ (MT: 24/09/07)

‘Home-grown software industry struggles on (MT: 12/03/07)

'Collaborate on contracts, ICT sector urged' (MT: 12/12/05)

‘Electronics industry spreading roots in industrial sector’ (NLM: 06/06/04) 'Software growth badly in need of human touch' (MT: 16/10/00)

Xinhua, 16/03/12. Excerpt. Edited. http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.asp?id=57655

Myanmar's Union Parliament has approved amendments to the 2012-13 National Planning Bill, submitted by speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw, parliament sources said. Among the amendments was one that would totally suspend the work of the Myanmar Industrial Development Ministry, cut the work of the minister's office of the Ministry of Electric Power-1 by 11pc, that of the Ministry of Electric Power-2 by 10pc.

NLM, 20/10/11. Edited and abridged. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs12/NLM2011-10-20.pdf

During the session of the Pyithu Hluttaw on 19/10/11, U Win Myint of Pyay Constituency asked about the products to be manufactured by national industry complexes and whether the trend towards a decrease in the number of state-owned factories would be in conformity with the strategy of matching supply with demand. Industrial Development Minister Thein Htay replied that the mainspring behind the development of the national industry complexes was capacity building. The complexes are to be formed to spur development of private and publicly owned industries using monetary and machinery resources provided by by the State. These will help to overcome the technological, financial, energy and raw material obstacles that have been obstacles to building an industrialized nation. It is expected that a wider range of job opportunities will be created within Myanmar for engineers, technicians, economists, managers, skilled workers and labourers who lacked job opportunities in the past. Market trends would not be a primary consideration in developing the national industrial complexes because the primary aim is not based on commodity goods production. The private sector and individual entrepreneurs can take care of this. The role of state-owned factories in production of consumer goods is being reduced in order to put emphasis on the capital goods industry which has yet to emerge in the state-owned sector. Capital goods industries are the main driver in industrialized countries. Factories concerned with the nature of capital goods industry among the state-owned factories will not be privatized.

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LOCAL SUPPLIERS USING NEW RATE STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRICITY CHARGES

Juliet Shwe Gaung, Myanmar Times, 12/09/11 (Issue 592). Edited and revised.

http://mmtimes.com/2011/business/592/biz59205.html
Residents of several townships in Rakhine State are enjoying increased electricity at a cheaper price from August after the running of generators and grids was privatised. Towns in the state that are far from the national grid have traditionally relied on diesel generators for power, which is sent via local cables. But from August, private businesspeople have taken over the operation of many local grids, leasing state-owned generators and cables to distribute the electricity. However, while the new method provides more electricity than before, it is still much more expensive than state-supplied power in Yangon, Mandalay or Nay Pyi Taw, which costs K25 a unit (1 kilowatt hour).
Kyaukpyu resident U Kyaw Zan Hla said that in his township every household with a meter box is required to use 18 units of electricity a month, with the first 10 units charged at K25 each and the rest at K500. “This is a small change to what was planned – it was originally supposed to cost K25 for only the first five units, with any usage above that charged at K500 a unit. But there wasn’t any minimum usage set at that stage,” he said. The chairman of the electricity supply group in Kyaukpyu said: “Even if households don’t use any electricity they have to pay a total of K250 for the first 10 units, K4000 for another eight units and K1000 as a monthly meter fee, or K5250 for the month.” But U Kyaw Zan Hla said the new payment system in place in township has already caused friction in the community. “The new system has already led to some arguments … poor people who use only one fluorescent light at night time will suffer. There are households here that use only 10 units of electricity a month,” he said.
Another Kyaukpyu resident, Ma Khin Myat Nwe, 27, said most households already pay about K5000 a month for electricity. “After the private operators took over we’ve been getting electricity from 5pm to about 11:30pm. Earlier this year a village electricity supply group was organised by the township authorities and supplied power from 7pm to 10pm. “People like to watch television if they can and if there is power people switch on their televisions at about 5pm,” she said.
The chairman of the township electricity supply group in Kyaukpyu, which has nine members, said that the group pays royalty fees to use the Ministry of Electric Power 2’s generators and cables. “Our township’s fuel quota is 2300 gallons of diesel. This month [August] we paid the ministry K3.17 million in fees. “But that quota can only supply about two hours of electricity to each household,” he said.
He said there are 2414 households in Kyaukpyu that have meter boxes. Before August, households were required to buy 10 units at K500 each and pay K1000 as a service charge, for a total of K6000. But residents now get almost twice as much electricity and pay minimum bills of K750 a month less. “Now, 10 units are charged at K25 each and residents are required to buy another eight units for K500 each, with a K1000 service charge, or K5250 a household,” he said.
He added that up to six hours of electricity are provided a day and defended the practice of setting a minimum fee. “If we don’t have an obligatory system people would use only 10 units a month and we would only be able to supply electricity for two hours a day,” he said.
He said the township electricity supply groups were not provided with enough capital to invest in the system, which is why businesspeople were invited to take over. The supply of electricity to Rakhine State was discussed in the Pyithu Hluttaw sittings held in February and March this year. U Ye Tun, the representative for Thandwe, asked whether there were any plans for Rakhine State to be connected to the national grid. The Minister of Electric Power 2, U Khin Maung Myint, said some Rakhine townships would be supplied with electricity generated from as-yet unbuilt hydropower projects. When those projects were built, the region would be supplied with electricity sold at K25 a unit for household use and K50 for commercial use.
Different distributors across the state are using different payment schemes. “We are obligated to use at least 10 units, which costs a total of K3000, with each additional unit costing K600,” said U Kyaw Lwin, a resident of Ramree island. “This new system for Ramree was supposed to start in September. Previously, we were obligated to pay K4000, which bought us five units and additional units cost K500 each,” he said.

However,

Before August, the bigger towns in Rakhine State had electricity supply groups that were normally led by the town’s head. These are now under private control, said U Kyi Win, another Ramree island resident. On Ramree island, village electricity supply groups were formed early this year to supply electricity to residents, at a per-unit cost of K500. “But we thought that K500 was too high because we knew it was K400 in Sittwe,” he said. He added that each township receives a quota of diesel from the government. “In towns where there was no township electrical supply at all, people had to pay about K1000 a unit,” said U Kyi Win, adding that monthly bills in Kyaukpyu could easily reach K15,000.
In Yangon, a normal apartment that includes an electric hotplate, refrigerator, iron and television uses about 240 units, which accrues a monthly bill of about K7000. In Kyaukpyu, U Kyaw Zan Hla said his family uses about 40 units of electricity a month, which costs about K20,000. “We have some lighting inside our house, use a pump to supply water and do the ironing,” he said, adding that the family does those tasks between 5:30pm and 11:30pm. “Of course I would like to use the refrigerator and the air-conditioner because the weather is too hot here. However, if I do that I’d be spending all the money that I’ve saved,” he said. “We normally use our refrigerator as a cupboard, although we turn it on before we have visitors or guests because we need to be able to serve cool water,” said U Kyi Win.
Additional references
See above: ‘Shwe gas will electrify Rakhine State: Minister’ (MT: 23/01/12)

See below: ‘Arakan reps raise electricity supply questions in parliament’ (NLM: 15/03/11)

Narinjara, 24/09/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=3112

Electricity users in Kyaukpru are facing trouble as the Lighting Committee in the town is enforcing a mandatory consumption minimum of 18 units of electricity per month. "[Previously,] the government allowed use of 10 units of electricity at a price of K 25 per unit, but [now] the town lighting committee has ordered us to use at least 18 units of electricity per month, and we must pay for the extra 8 units at a price of K 500 per unit," said U Thandar Maung, a downtown resident. He said that because of the new order by the committee, consumers have to pay K 4,250 per month as a usage charge. "We also have to pay a service charge of K 1,000 for the electricity meter box. So a household has to pay K 5,250 in total per month," he said. "It is just a plan by the committee to extort [money] from us and has caused great troubles to us now, especially to the poor households. Before we had to pay just between 3,000 and 4,000 Kyat per month for electricity bills, because there was no limitation on using electricity and we used it very economically," he said. A resident of Sittwe, the state capital, said they previously paid K 25 per unit if they did not use more than 10 units of electricity per month, but now they have to pay 440 Kyat per unit for extra usage. "Starting from the month of August this year, we have to pay K 25 per unit of electricity if we do not use more than 10 units in a month, but we have to pay 440 Kyat per unit for any additional units we might use each month," said the resident. Narinjara has tried to contact U Tha Lu Chay, Minister for Electrical Power and Energy in Arakan State, via the telephone regarding the matter but has been unable to make contact.

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PARLIAMENTARIANS URGE GOVERNMENT TO JOIN INTERNATIONAL DAM COMMISSION.

Myo Thant, Mizzima, 14/09/11. Edited. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/5929-upper-house-approves-motion-to-join-international-dam-commission.html

The Upper [Nationalities] Chamber of Burma’s Parliament on 13/0911 unanimously approved a motion “urging the government to form a Myanmar National Committee on Large Dams (MNCOLD) and to join the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD).” The committee should include Burmese construction engineers, geologists, conservationists and earthquake experts, the motion said.
Four MPs discussed the motion put forward by former Electrical Power Deputy Minister and Union Solidarity and Development Party MP Myo Myint.
The current Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Khin Zaw joined in the discussion giving his support to the motion. Khin Zaw said that Burma had tried to join ICOLD under the former junta, but that problems had prevented it from doing so. He did not mention the year that Burma had tried to join ICOLD or the nature of the problems.
MPs said that even though the motion had received approval by the Upper Chamber House, it was not clear whether the central government would actually implement it and if a national dam commission would be formed.
The international commission is a France-based INGO that comprises more than 90 member countries. It offers access to construction experts, geologists, conservationists and meteorologists. Founded in 1982, it leads the profession in ensuring that dams are built safely, efficiently, economically and without detrimental effects on the environment in its member countries, according to its website.
Additional references
NLM, 14/09/11. Edited. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/NLM2011-09-14.pdf

During the session of the Amyotha Hluttaw on 13/09/11, Representatives Shu Maung, Soe Myint, Sai Kyaw Zaw Than and Steven Thabeik presented a proposal “urging the Union government to form a Myanmar Large Dams National Committee and to join the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD)”. Citing the fact [many] dams had been built to generate electricity and provide crop irrigation since 1990, and that there are now 235 dams, as well as ongoing construction of new facilities, they said that measures needed to be taken to prevent natural disasters and to ensure the durability of the dams. Techniques, designs and suggestions for sustainability of the dams should be requested from ICOLD. Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation U Khin Zaw explained that the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, the Electric Power Implementation Dept and Hydropower Planning Dept of EPM-1 are all working on the construction small-, medium- and large-scale dams and will continue to co-operate with local and foreign organizations for mutual benefits. He said that membership in the Paris-based ICOLD might allow Myanmar to keep abreast of international developments and to get advice on technical issues. It would also allow Myanmar engineers to participate in academic seminars and to get recognition in the international community. Furthermore, the Myanmar Engineering Society is currently making connections with ASEAN member nations. He agreed with the proposal for the formation of a Myanmar National Committee on Large Dams (MNCOLD) and that the International Commission on Large Dams should be jointed. The Hluttaw then approved the proposal.

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HYDROPOWER MINISTER DEFENDS CONSTRUCTION OF MYITSONE DAM

Sai Zom Hseng, Irrawaddy Online, 12/09/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22057

Burma’s EPM-1 Zaw Min, says the government will continue construction of the Myitsone Dam on the Irrawaddy River despite heavy criticism and environmental and social concerns. Zaw Min told a press briefing in Nay Pyi Taw on 10/09/11 that the Myitsone dam is in the national interest and work will not be halted. “We will finish this project within eight years, and I will answer ‘No’ to the question of the environmental groups who asked, ‘Will the project be stopped? “We hired a third party for the impact assessments and we paid US $1.25 million for this. As we have done well with the impact assessment, I will say that we will never stop the project before finishing.”
The construction was started in 2009 and the dam, which will be Burma's largest, will produce 6,000 megawatts of electricity. The dam site is located within the Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rainforest region, which is recognized as one of the world’s top biodiversity hot spots and is a global conservation priority. If completed, the project is expected to flood an area the size of Singapore and inundate approximately 766 square kilometers of the pristine rain forest.
Burmese officials claimed in early of August that there will be no negative environmental or social impact because only seven percent of the water flow will be utilized, according to the state-run newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar.
“There are a few bad things, such as there will be no place for the biodiversity and the people will be displaced because of the reservoirs, etc. But we have to compare this with the national benefits which we will get from the project. After we reduce those bad things, the project will definitely affect positively the 50-60 million people of the country,” said Zaw Min.
Environmental groups say the project will not only disrupt transportation of nutrients to the Irrawaddy delta, the provider of nearly 60 percent of Burma’s rice, but will also submerge historical churches, temples and cultural heritage sites that are central to Kachin identity and history.
Maung Sein Win (Patee Kone), a famous Burmese writer, said that while building the dam is the wish of the government, the people are also speaking out about their wish. The people love the Irrawaddy River, he said, and don’t want the river and the forest to be destroyed.
Several local groups, as well as exile groups, are now campaigning to stop the Myitsone Dam Project. Myat Thu, one of the organizers of the campaign to save the Irrawaddy River, said, “They [the government] said that they represent the people. That’s why they have to respect the voice of the people. If the voice of the people is different from theirs, they have to change.” Dr Tun Lwin, the former director-general of Burma's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Maung Sein Win (Patee Kone) and other concerned people held a talk in Rangoon on Saturday under the name “Save the Irrawaddy” that was attended by around 400 people. Tun Lwin said the possible consequences of the dam project include a change in the country's climate, cyclones and water level fluctuations.
Additional references
See above: ‘President Thein Sein orders suspension of Myitsone dam project’ (IRROL: 30/09/11) which includes a complete list of other key articles related to CPIC hydropower projects in northern Kachin State.

‘Public workshop held on environmental impact of Ayeyawady basin dams’ (NLM: 18/09/11).

See below: ‘In defence of proposed hydropower dams in the Ayeyawady river basin’ (NLM, 09/08/11)

Ei Ei Toe Lwin, Aye Thidar Kyaw, Myanmar Times, 19/09/11 (Issue 593) Condensed. http://mmtimes.com/2011/news/593/news59302.html

In comments that have angered environmentalists, EPM-1 Zaw Min said last week the proposed Myitsone Dam would be built regardless of concerns over its impact on the Ayeyarwady River. A strong opposition movement has arisen in response to the project, particularly a dam at the confluence of the Maykha and Malikha rivers in Kachin State. However, Zaw Min said the government had no intention of caving in to pressure from activists. “Some media say we will retreat because environmental organisations are protesting but we won’t give up on it, this project is needed for our national economy to get electric power,” he said at a press conference on September 11. “Some organisations are trying to sidetrack the project with environmental reasons but it is so clear they are just trying to block our country’s economy. We don’t need to listen to the comments of those groups; we just do our job for the 50 million people of Myanmar.” Zaw Min said that Myanmar would get 10 percent of electricity generated free of charge and would own 15pc of the project without investing anything. He said the government would also charge withholding tax on the project, which was on track to be completed in eight years. “Some media say these [projects] are only profiting China. But this is the only way we can implement these projects because our country does not have the money. Zaw Min also revealed that he had written an article published in state media in August titled “We also love the Ayeyarwady”.
Both the substance and the tone of U Zaw Min’s comments incensed environmental activists, who again called on the government to reconsider the project. “The Maykha-Malikha confluence is the birthplace of the Ayeyarwady. This place is like our mother: a mother takes care of us and feeds us and the Ayeyarwady supports the livelihoods of many people from its upper reaches to the lower delta. To me it feels like if they go ahead with this project, they are destroying our mother. Even if they pass an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), they should not implement the project,” said Daw Daewi Thant Sin, an environmental activist and chief editor of monthly magazine Aung Pin Lae.
“The new government has so far accepted all the things that were [initiated] by the former government, regardless of whether they were good or bad … but it needs to think thoroughly whether this project is good or bad. The previous government was a military government, so it was not unusual that they never announced what they were doing. But our country is changing to a parliamentary democracy, and the government should listen to the voice of the public.”
“I am very disappointed at these comments from such a high-ranking official. It is very unexpected … the way he talked, it looked like a dictatorship. He is just continuing to do whatever he wants in spite of the widespread public criticism,” said photographer Ko Myint Zaw, who earlier this year held an exhibition titled “Watershed of Ayeyarwady”. “I think this project could damage the watershed of the Maykha and Malikha rivers, which are the sources of the Ayeyarwady River. We need to conserve the watershed so the river doesn’t disappear. I think upper-level officials already know this.”
Previously an environmental issue, the dam project has taken on a political dimension that some believe could tarnish the image of the new government. “This project should be postponed,” said U Khin Maung Swe, co-founder of the National Democratic Force. “Even if we urgently have to implement this project to meet our electricity needs … the government should discontinue it and find another more suitable site somewhere else. Many people are worried about the environmental consequences, which could potentially affect a large proportion of the population. Experts say salt water could intrude more and more into the Ayeyarwady delta and more sandbanks will form [as a result of the project]. If this occurs, it will have a negative impact on the agricultural sector and that would certainly not be in the national interest.”
Eleven Media coverage of the press conference by Hydropower Minister Zaw Min, undated. Summary

http://eversion.news-eleven.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1449:myitsone-dam-project-will-not-be-discarded-anyhow-despite-objections-from-any-sources-electric-power-minister&catid=42:weekly-eleven-eversion&Itemid=109

Compiler’s note: This long article contains a verbatim translation of comments on the Myitsone dam project by the hydropower minister at his press conference on 10/09/11. It is immediately followed by a series of very negative comments on the project by a panel of well known journalists, politicians, environmentalists and academics.

Mizzima, 05/09/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/5878-burmese-supreme-court-to-be-asked-to-order-halt-to-myitsone-dam-project.html

Several candidates who ran in the parliamentary elections in 2010 say they will ask the Burmese Supreme Court to issue an injunction to stop work on the Myitsone dam project on the Irrawaddy River and to reveal more information about the project. Included in the group are Bauk Ja and Min Aung of the National Democratic Force, Aung Myo Oo of the Peace and Diversity Party; former Democracy Party candidate Soe Kyi; and independent candidate Win Cho. They said they plan to file the lawsuit as soon as the current session of Parliament ends, if more information is not made available. The group decided to file the lawsuit because the authorities have not disclosed enough information, and they fear the dam will lead to the extinction of the Irrawaddy River. The 2008 Constitution gives citizens the right to sue the Union government in the Supreme Court. The suit will ask the court to issue a writ of prohibition halting work on the dam and a further writ requiring the government to show the authority under which the work was undertaken.

IRROL, 02/09/11. Condensed. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22010

A petition signed by nearly 1,600 influential Burmese persons, including politicians, journalists, writers, artists and film directors was sent to President Thein Sein on September 1st with a campaign message titled “From Those who Wish the Irrawaddy to Flow Forever.” The signatories included: Win Tin, a prominent member of the opposition National League for Democracy; veteran journalists Sein Win and Maung Wun Tha; Kyaw Thu, the founder of the Free Funeral Services Society; writer Than Myint Aung; social activist Aung Thin; acclaimed writer Zaw Zaw Aung; and film director Cho Tu Zal. The campaign was organized by Myat Thu, a prominent member of the 88 Generation Students group. Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, Myat Thu said, “Along with the petition we sent a letter that outlined our anxieties.” The Irrawaddy River is considered the main artery of Burma and million sof people depend on it for their livelihoods. It has its source in Kachin State in northern Burma at the confluence of the N’mai and Mali rivers, and flows 2,170 km (1,348 mi) through many of the country’s main cities, including Myitkyina, Bhamo, Mandalay, Sagaing, Bagan, Magwe and Pyay, before emptying in the fertile Irrawaddy delta.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Irrawaddy Appeal. 11/08/11. Abridged. http://irrawaddy.org/pdf/Irrawaddy_Appeal.pdf
Irrawaddy, 'the great river' . . . is the most significant geographical feature of our country, the grand natural highway, a prolific source of food, the home of varied water flora and fauna, the supporter of traditional modes of life, . . . Today, the Irrawaddy is under threat. Lack of sound planning the failure to enforce necessary conservation laws, and a poor ecolgical awareness have created diverse problems. . . . The construction of dams and hydroelectric power stations bring such benefits as the regulation of waterways and the availability of renewable electric energy. However, there is a downside to such projects. The river course is fragmented and the strength of flow is weakened; decrease in sedimentation aggravates the erosion problem; although the water becomes clearer, there is greater concentration of impure elements; during the course of the construction work much industrial refuse is generated, adding to the despoliation of the environment and pollution of the river. A particularly serious problem resulting from the weakened flow of the waters of the Irrawaddy is the intrusion of salt water into the delta. This is detrimental to paddy production and thus affects the whole population of the country.
The 'Myit Sone' dam project, a joint Burmese-Chinese venture has raised additional problem. An environmental impact assessment report has generated intense concern in particular with regard to the safety aspect. The presence of fault lines in the vicinity of the dams and the sheer immensity of the reservoir raises the spectre of horrendous devastation in the event of an earthquake. . . . Since the commencement of the project, the perception, long held by the Kachin people, that successive Burmese governments have neglected their interests has deepened. . . . We urge that in the interests of both national and international harmony, concerned parties should re-assess the scheme and co-operate to find solutions that would prevent undesirable consequences.