United Nations’ Ban Ki Moon Praised President Thein Sein for Signing NCA U
N Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon Praised President Thein Sein for signing Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with eight armed ethnic groups on October 15, 2015 at Nay Pyi Taw. He also encourages to other groups that fail to sign the NCA to forget the past and go forward to a peaceful and developed future.
President Thein Sein said that “NCA is a first historic gift and heritage from us to future generations” at the signing ceremony attended by the hundreds of diplomats, officials, rebel groups’ representatives in country. It is also the road to future peace in Myanmar that is opening up. He also said that he will continue with efforts to sign other groups in the near future.
Temporary Visa for Foreign Reporters Covering Myanmar Polls
For foreign correspondents who wish to cover the upcoming General Election set for November 8, Myanmar’s Information Ministry is arranging one-month visa. Foreign correspondents with media accreditation cards will be able to cover the election processes throughout the country. Should they also wish to cover news in the compound of polling stations during the elections, they will require special permission from respective district township election commission offices to be able to enter the compound.
Meanwhile, there has been 10,789 local observers in 12 groups along with international observers, including those from the European Union. There are 35 million eligible voters in the country. The election commission is opening a total of 40,516 polling booths in the country, most of which are located in Yangon, Mandalay, Ayeyawaddy, Bago and Magway regions. Meanwhile, 22,187 overseas Myanmar citizens out of 29,000 eligible ones have so far cast advance votes at polling stations opened at 44 embassies and consulates around the world.
Government Reveals Energy Production Figures
Although Government rarely provides information on volumes of energy sector output before 2011 for comparison, now figures on the production of petroleum and natural gas has been revealed. Myanmar produced 24.7 million barrels of petroleum and 2085.57 million cubic feet of natural gas between 2011 and 2015 from both onshore and offshore projects. As energy consumption rises within the country, production has increased over the past five years – from 15.292 million tons of oil in 2013 to 17.445 million tons in 2014. Ministry of Energy official said that the average energy consumption per person has reached 0.3388 tons in 2014 based on popuation of 51.49 million. Myanmar exported 78 percent of its natural gas production in 2011 and 81% in 2015, and 20% was used domestically, mostly in the electricity sector.
State owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) signed Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) for 10 shallow-water blocks and another 10 deep-water blocks with 13 international and eight local companies. The government received US$3.55 million as a “signature bonus” from the signing of PSCs in financial year 2012, $19.47 million in 2013 and $7.29 million in 2014. The signature bonus is received when oil companies begin the exploration period in their awarded blocks. Figures for 2015 were not provided. The ministry estimates that it will earn another $60.61 million in 2016.
