4 August

Chief Minister of Yangon Region U Phyo Min Thein disclosed yesterday that the total payment of compensation for the farmland which were confiscated for establishing new cities in Yangon Region amounted to K200 billion.

The chief minister made the comment at the press conference at Yangon Region Government and promised to resolved the issues by giving the compensation and returning some farmland to the farmers concerned. “I would like to say that the compensation amounts to K200 billions. Because we have already scrutinized these cases, form (3) will be issued and the land will be returned soon. Compensation will be given too.” Said U Phyo Min Thein. About 982 acres of land will be returned to the owners, according to the Yangon Region Government. To resolve the land issues, the incumbent Yangon Region Government formed the Central Committee for Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and regional committee. The tripartite committee comprised of Hluttaw, government and civil orginizations scrutinized the land confiscation cases. About 2,202 cases which were left to be scrutinized at 1st Hluttaw and 2225 cases reported by Central Committee for Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands has now been investigated. Furthermore, 6077 of 12527 other cases reported to regional government has now been investigated. In Yangon, there are about 5000 cases. It was found there was weakness in compensating when new townships: four Dagon townships, Hling Tha Yar and Shwe Pyi Tha were built. The regional government is planning to pay compensation of K77 billion this fiscal year and 33 billion in 2019 -2020 fiscal year.

The amount of money for the compensation will be raised by selling in land in new townships.

“Kyat seven billion will be given before September ends. Concerning the compensation, we are trying to ask for more in 2019-2020 fiscal year as there is only 440 billions in our budget. In the doing so, we are going to sell the land left when transforming farm lands into resident area” he said
Land will be sold in four methods

1. Houses which value at 30,000,000 MMK will be for people in slums. Resident must pay for the building.

2. Affordable flats will be built and sold with 15 installment plan.

3. Plot will be sold.

4. Land will be sold to investors at affordable prices.

The chief minister said that compensation for the confiscated farm land and future reports will taken care of by the regional government.

(Translated by Alphonsus)