The chair of Yangon’s regional Finance, Planning and Economic Committee, Sandar Min, has spoken out in support of developers who were ordered by the Yangon regional government to halt construction after their projects were found to allegedly be in violation of draft urban planning regulations. She claims that the economy has suffered “enormous loss” due to this decision and accused her colleagues of jeopardizing economic growth by putting thousands of laborers out of work.
Sandar Min received complaints from the affected developers last month after the High-rise Inspection Committee found 12 major projects to be in violation of not yet finalized urban planning regulations. The developers, whose projects had been approved by the former government, were ordered to correct these costly violations, such as reducing the number of floors or adding more parking spaces. Min and her committee carried out their own inspection and found that the developers violated no regulations. She submitted the findings to Yangon Region government with a request that they lift the construction ban as soon as possible. “If the regional government does not respond soon, we will take the issue to the hluttaw [Union parliament] and at that time Yangon Region government will need to respond,” she said.
The projects that have been ordered to change their designs are as follows:
- Twelve-story project on Strand Road in Kyeemyindaing township
- Twenty-seven storey project on Strand Road in Ahlone township
- Nineteen-storey project on Merchant Road in Botahtaung township
- Twenty-seven storey project on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road in Bahan township
- Twenty-three storey project on East Horse Racecourse Road in Tarmwe township
- Thirty-two storey project on Phoe Sein Road in Tarmwe township
- Eighteen-storey project on Myakanthar Road in Hlaing township
- Twelve-and-a-half-storey project on Insein Road in Kamaryut township
- Twelve-and-a-half storey project on Kanlan Road in Hlaing township
- Twenty-two storey project on Pyay Road in Mayangone township
- Thirty-two storey project on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road in Mayangone township
- Twelve-and-a-half storey building on Sein Lae May Yeikthar Road in Yankin township
