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Myanmar hopes to complete move to new capital in Feb
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-02-05 08:38
Myanmar hopes to finish moving government ministries and the military
headquarters to offices at its new administrative capital Pyinmana by the
end of February, officials said.
The information minister, Brigadier General Kyaw Hsan, also indicated
that a major military parade to mark Armed Forces Day on March 27 would move to
the new capital.
Asked where the parade -- one of the government's most important annual
events -- would be held this year, Kyaw Hsan replied: "Not in Yangon."
Some government offices will start working in Pyinmana, a mountainous logging
town in central Myanmar, from Monday -- even though they don't all have
telephone lines yet, a senior home affairs official added.
"All ministries will finish moving during the third week of this month," the
official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"People can continue contacting our main office in Yangon until the third
week of this month. We hope we can be announcing the new number there (in
Pyinmana) after that. The numbers are not confirmed yet," he said.
Staff at several ministries said they would not open for business in Pyinmana
until the leader, Senior General Than Shwe, holds an official opening
ceremony that has yet to be scheduled.
The defense and home affairs ministries already have had at least some staff
working in Pyinmana since December, the official said.
"Our home affairs ministry and the defense ministry opened our new offices in
there in December. Some ministries will open during the coming days. It's up to
the ministry," he said.
An information ministry official said essential staff would arrive in
Pyinmana throughout the month.
"We cannot say the shift is completely finished. But many ministries can run
their operations on Monday. Ministries are still making their own arrangements
for the move," he said.
Officials said the military headquarters was expected to move Tuesday into
its new offices, inside a walled compound that few people have
seen.
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