Coke back in Myanmar officially after 60 years

The soft drinks giant also said it was moving to establish a bottling operation in the country as it emerges from decades of stifled economic development under military dictatorship.

“We are privileged to once again have the opportunity to play a role in building a better future with the people of Myanmar,” said Coke chairman and chief executive Muhtar Kent, who oversaw the delivery during a weekend visit to Yangon, the country’s business hub.

The company said it was working with local soft drinks maker Pinya Manufacturing to develop a local Coke bottling and distribution operation “as soon as possible”.

 

SIA to fly daily

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch regular direct flight to Yangon on October 28 to cater to rapidly growing demand for travel to Myanmar, according to sources in Singapore Airlines. Together with its regional subsidiary SilkAir, the SIA Group will serve Yangon with 16 weekly flights. SilkAir currently operates 16 weekly flights to Yangon with single-aisle Airbus A320-family aircraft. SIA will take over seven of those flights with larger 323-seat Boeing 777-200 wide-body aircraft, increasing weekly seat capacity by 55 per cent.

 

FDI in mining $3 bn

Investments in Myanmar’s mining sector has reached US$3 billion (Bt90 billion) in foreign investment and the highest investment after electricity, petrol and natural gas sectors, according to the Foreign Investment and Company Administration Department.

Foreign businessmen invested $2,814.360 million and local businessmen invested 11,007.92 million kyats (about $12.8 million) in the local mining sector. Companies from Australia, Russia, China, Vietnam and Thailand are investing in the mining sector. 

 

Rakhine border trade 

Trade in the Sittway and Maungtaw borders has now resumed following recent clashes in Rakhine, it was learned. Although the trade through the Sittway border resumed last month, that in Maungdaw resumed only this month. Traders had earlier stopped going to the border due to the violence. 

Trade in the Rakhine border reached over US$2 million within two months. While Maungdaw has resumed trade with Bangladesh, the latter has yet to resume exporting to the country. Bangladesh exports to Sittway totaled $15,000 for a two- month period. Export volumes for the Sittway border trade centre reached $2.068 million, merchants said.

 

19th kidney transplant

Doctors in Myanmar have successfully carried out the 19th kidney transplant in a show of steady improvement in their ability to perform organ transplant over the past decade.

Dr Toe Lwin, a professor of Urology and Nephrology Department at New Yangon General Hospital, led a surgical team to carry out the operation on August 31. The kidney recipient, U Sein Paw, 47, hails from Netmauk in Magway Region. The donor was his son, Ko Khine Soe, 22. 

 

Railway building to become hotel

The old building of Myanmar Railways on Merchant Street in Yangon will be turned into a five-star hotel, said managing director of local firm Megatrend Co. 

The company will run the hotel in partnership with a Korean company after it won the tender by the Myanmar Investment Commission for a long-term build-operate-transfer contract.