Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Gold miners to get new town

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Wednesday, 12 September 2012 15:05 Nay Lin Aung

Yamethin (Mizzima) – The National Prosperity Public Company Limited (NPPCL) is establishing a new town, Minemyonge, for employees of the Moehti Moemi gold mine located in Yamethin Township, Mandalay Region.

The gold miners will be moved to the new town at the end of 2012, said the NPPCL, which operates the gold mine.

The Moehti Moemi gold mine area  Photo: Mizzima

Presently, more than 8,800 people including gold miners from NPPCL and 23 smaller companies are in partnership with NPPCL. Gold mine workers, gold traders and others live in a scattering of houses around the mining area. The gold mine project was started in October 2011.

The Moehti Moemi gold mine is located on a mountain area, 8.5 miles from Thayaaye village. The area covered by the Moehti Moemi gold mine is 5,105 acres.

The NPPCL will spend about 500 million kyat (US$ 575,474) to create the new town, according to reports.

The town will have about 122 acres and it will include a police station, a hospital, schools and small resorts.

“The project was started in August. We are setting up the new town in order that gold miners can move starting Dec. 1. Presently, five apartment buildings are being built,” said Tun Aung Soe, the project director of the company.

The intention behind the creation of the new town is to separate the working areas and living areas of the miners, said Tun Aung Soe.

“In Minemyonge, the employees from our company and associated companies will live. There will be 3,000 houses for employees. We will run bars for bachelors,” said Tun Aung Soe. “We plan to provide them with accommodations like in international mines.

If other people including shopowners and motorcycle-taxi drivers want to live in the new town, they can rent houses from the company at suitable prices, said Tun Aung Soe.

The new town was approved by the Mandalay Region government and Forestry Department and the location is outside a forest reserve, according to reports.

About 2,000 NPPCL employees, more than 8,000 workers of associated companies and more than 289 traders work in the mine area. They represent Shan, Pa-O, Kachin, Wa, Arakanese [Rakhine] and Burman ethnic groups.

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