MasterCard ATMs at two more banks

Kanbawza Bank and United Amara Bank will provide the service for foreigners and tourists. MasterCard holders have withdrawn over US$1.7 million (Bt50.36 million) since its ATM service was launched with Cooperative Bank on November 15, prompting the expansion. Currently, eight ATM machines will accept MasterCard in Myanmar and 13 more are about to be installed at hotels. By the end of the year, MasterCard plans more than 500 point-of-sale terminals in restaurants, hotels and retail outlets. They allow cardholders to withdraw both US and Myanmar currencies.

 

Soccer squad to tune up in China

The Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) will take a 26-strong squad of under-23 players for tune-up matches in China in May ahead of December’s SEA Games, to be held in Myanmar.

The players will undergo 10 days of training and friendly matches, with eight to be selected for the Myanmar U-23 SEA Games team.

Coach Park Sung-hwa will take a party of 17 players from the team that qualified from the AFC Challenge Cup plus nine under-23 players to Shanghai from May 23 to June 11. The Myanmar U-23 team will then play in the Myanmar National League in August as further preparation for the 27th SEA Games.

The national squad will be divided into two teams, with coach Park overseeing training of the first string and Magway FC coach Kyi Lwin steering the second string. 

 

Change to passport application 

From today, Myanmar citizens planning an overseas trip no longer need to apply for Form-19 and the D-Form, state-owned Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) announced yesterday.

Applying for a passport via Form-19 and the D-Form takes too much time and is unnecessarily costly, said the MRTV statement.

“It is time consuming and costs a lot to apply for a passport with Form-19,” complained one passport holder, who wished to remain anonymous. “Applicants can be tricked by dishonest brokers. When I applied via Form-19, a broker asked me for more money than I should have paid. That’s why Form-19 should be eliminated.”

 

Firms can cut 700ha of teak forests

The government has announced that private firms will be permitted to harvest teak from over 700 hectares of protected forest.

A total of 726 hectares in protected forest areas have been earmarked for the cultivation of teak – 120ha in Yenwe, 60ha in Aiton, 80ha in Daingtaya, 120ha in Makar, 80ha in Saiya, 18ha in Bago region’s Kawliya, 120ha in Magway region’s Pinhtaung, and 120ha in Mandalay’s Taungkyun forest.

Licences for 30 and 35 years have been given to private entrepreneurs to carry out forest conversation and management.