Yangon govt moves swiftly to counter backlash to 'secret town'
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The Yangon Region government has moved swiftly to counter the backlash to its startling announcement last week that it had secretly decided to build a new town and had already selected the contractor for it.
It said yesterday that it would open a tender for the project, allowing companies to bid for the massive project. Construction of the so-called New Town project will proceed only after a tender is held to select the contractor, the government said in a five-point statement released on August 28.
Its plan to build a new town adjacent the country’s largest city was kept secret until August 22 when Yangon Mayor Hla Myint announced it during the ninth session of the Yangon Region Parliament. He also said that Myanma Sedana Myothit Plc had been given the contract to build a housing project on 30,000 acres of land, located in Kyimyindine, Seikkyi Kanaungto and Twantay townships.
The sudden announcement of the massive project raised eyebrows from Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw and triggered a backlash. People demanded transparency and asked why a little known company was awarded such a massive contract.
Region officials now say a tender to select a developer will be announced soon. They have yet to specify, however, the rules and regulations of the tender.
People living in the area where the new town will be built said that land plots had already been snapped up in the area, with most buyers being Chinese nationals or Myanmar nationals of Chinese descent.
