Prices climb as scarcity mounts

IMNA, Panorkkyar

The price of goods exported from Thailand increased, as fewer goods from Thailand have been arriving in Moulmein, according to traders in Moulmein.

Two days ago the main stream of business in Myawaddy mountain road was blocked as heavy rains falling in the mountain made the road impassible, and the Gaying bridge remained damage, forcing most trucks to have to reduce their weight while heading in the direction of Myawaddy at Hpa-an .

“Commodities are not arriving in Myawaddy so we just have to sell what we have left from before,” said a bulk seller from Zaykyo. “Because of this we are having to raise our sales prices.”

The price of most goods has increased beyond what would have sold when they were readily available. Before, one bucket cooking oil increasing in price from 24,000 kyat to 28,000 kyat said one resident. Among other items increasing in price are shoes, slippers and spices.

“Before the road was damaged we made profits of 300,000 kyat for trading with Myawaddy to Moulmein, but now we can’t ship our goods. We are waiting for road to reopen and have to spend money eating here and are losing the time for our job” said a trader from Myawaddy.

As previously reported by IMNA, authorities have limited the weight trucks are able to carry across the Gyaing suspension .The Gyaing suspension bridge is part of the main road to Rangoon,_Hpa-an,_Moulemin and_Myawaddy explained the rice trader from Myawaddy.

The trader added, “The Gyaing bridge was saging and the stream of the business imports from Thailand is slower because most of the trucks have had to transfer their cargo to smaller cars to transport it past the suspension bridge – they can only pass if they reduce the weight of their load.”

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Htoo Company Smuggles Teak to Bangladesh

Maungdaw (Narinjara): Htoo Company, owned by Burmese tycoon U Te Za, has been illegally exporting teak from western Burma to Bangladesh since the company got permission to harvest teak in western Burma, said a source close to the company.

The source said Htoo Company has, since last year, produced a huge amount of teak from the Mayu Range alongside the motor road connecting Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships in western Burma.

The teak has been stockpiled by the company at Nwa Ron Daung Village in Maungdaw Township, which is located alongside a creek that flows into the Naff River. The Naff River forms the boundary between Burma and Bangladesh.

As the military junta has plans to cultivate rubber plants in the area, particularly in the Mayu Range, the government gave permission to the Htoo Company to clear-cut teak in the area.

A local elder said, "Most of the teak in the area was cultivated over 50 years ago, some before Burma gained independence. It was once the biggest forest in Arakan State."

Even though the company had permission to take teak from the area, there is no market for teak exports except in Bangladesh. The company has been smuggling teak to Bangladesh with the help of two local companies.

A businessman said, "Two business companies from Maungdaw got sub-contracts from the Htoo Company to produce teak from the area. One company is owned by Aung Myint Thein and the other is Myint Brother Ltd."

The two companies have been exporting teak to Bangladesh illegally through the Nwa Ron Daung Jetty, with teak being taken across the Naff River to Bangladesh every night in motor boats.

Maungdaw district authorities and Nasaka officials have remained silent on the issue and have failed to take action, despite the significant amount of teak that is being smuggled to Bangladesh, because the company is owned by Te Za, son-in-law of junta supremo Senior General Than Shwe.

According to a witness, large amounts of teak are being piled up alongside the Maungdaw-Buthidaung motor road after being cut from the area.

A government clerk in Maungdaw told Narinjara over the phone that he estimates that there was nearly 10,000 acres of forest where only the teak trees grew. Now the forest has been clear-cut and most of the teak has been taken by the company.

According to a local source, some timber companies in Bangladesh are working with the Htoo Company to smuggle the teak to Bangladesh through the Bondaw trade zone in Teknaf Township.

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