Zarni Min Naing/MBT
To meet the housing demand of Yangon, it has been suggested the government should implement housing projects on privately-owned vacant lands, according to experts at the annual general meeting of Myanmar Engineering Society.
They said few lands in Yangon are owned by the government while there are many vacant plots in the hands of private owners in new townships in Myanmar’s commercial hub.
“The private sector owns much more land than the government. The government cannot interfere with lands owned by the private sector but the government can lead a housing project and ask the private owners to invest their lands in it,” Daw Aye Aye Myint, director from the Ministry of Construction, said.
Among the townships in Yangon, Hlaingtharyar is already crowded with a large population but there are many vacant lands in South Dagon, East Dagon, North Dagon and Dagon Seikan townships, she added.
“The land is vacant, but owned by private owners. The government should cooperate with the owner of the land in order to develop it,” Daw Aye Aye Myint said.
If the government will develop the land and lead the project, East Dagon landowner Ko Bo Bo said he would work with the government and he thinks it will be profitable for the land owners.
On the other hand, when private owners develop their land and implement a housing project on their land, they will face some infrastructural needs such as electricity and access to the water main.
“Therefore, a master plan is needed in order to develop the lands. The government cannot do it alone nor can the private sector – the government and private sector have to cooperate,” Daw Aye Aye Myint said.
In 2015-16 fiscal year, the Ministry of Construction is implementing affordable housing projects in Dagon Seikan, South Dagon, Minglardon, Thanlyin and Hlaingtharyar townships in which an estimated 257 buildings and 17,656 rooms are included.
In 2013-14, 98 buildings that included 1,672 rooms were built. For 2014-15, 373 buildings that includes 18,970 rooms are still being implementing, according to the Ministry of Construction.
From:Myanmar Business Today