SL English - Japan to provide $10M to assist in Myanmar's Electricity Woes

(Myitmakha) Yangon, July 12, 2012 - Ministry of Electric Power No. (2) announced that Japan will provide 10 million dollars funding to use in supplementing electrical power in Myanmar.

The funding is given as assistance and aimed at providing access to electricity nationwide said U Khin Maung Win, deputy director of Ministry of Electric Power No. (2).

"We have accepted the offer and sent the necessary documents. We'll try our bests to provide enough electricity for the country." he added.

The ministry is planning to provide electricity to the whole nation by establishing a new generator in Yangon, where the required fuels such as oil and natural gases can be easily obtained.

Mitsubishi and EGAT companies are also planning to establish another power generator in Yangon to provide 24 hours electricity to the factories.

Myanmar has about $6B debt on Japan; however, $3.7B out of the aforementioned amount was lifted during the president's visit to Japan.

On the statement published on June 19, the president mentioned that the government will be planning long- and short-term projects to provide enough electricity, while the state governments will need to take responsibility of delivering it among the public and the foreign companies will invest in producing electricity for the factories throughout the country.

Although the country has used 2.8 trillion Kyats from the national budget and billions of dollars from foreign loans in attempts to provide electricity in the country, the increased rates of electrical uses and population are keeping the process slow.

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Photo: Pho Thar Htoo (SL).