Plans to build a new economic hub in Yangon are underway with or without of assistance from Japan, according to the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC).
The Mindhamma Project is planned to become Yangon’s second economic city to relieve traffic and congestion from an overcrowded downtown.
“Japan has previously told us to carry out the project with their experts. No matter what the Japan is helping us or not, we are doing it with our businessmen. We will also offer tender for the project,” said Toe Aung, from the YCDC.
Although YCDC are seeking a quick start, there are difficulties in relocating the shops in the current Mindhamma garden, as well as seeking permissions for the land plot which is currently owned by government ministries.
There were also clashes with 600 YCDC workers due to fencing the garden on August 2. Sources say that Japan halted its assistance to the project because of these unresolved issues. YCDC has said the ownership question has only delayed the tender.
“There are no problems in Mindhamma project except the land plot is co-owned by Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and the Ministry of Defence. That’s why we still couldn’t call tender,” said Toe Aung.
The Mindhamma Project planned on 400 acres of land and will include hotels, shopping malls and modern apartments. The traffic routes will be made better and it will also have a private car routes.
Source: Eleven Myanmar
