please click on the imageMyanmar's ruling military junta denied reports Wednesday that it was deducting 10 percent from foreign donations to cyclone victims, saying all incoming funds were spent on relief efforts. 88 GSE is tracing that HTOO TRADING CO.LTD is printing huge amount of Burmese currency to exchange with foreign currency from donation or aid channels and most of foreign currencies are under hundle of HTOO TRADING CO.LTD.
Foreign aid agencies, meanwhile, said they studying a new set of guidelines issued by the government for implementing their assistance programs, which would require a large amount of paperwork and repeated contacts with national and local government agencies.
"There were concerns expressed by the humanitarian community that additional steps for seeking approval may unnecessarily delay the relief response," the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said.
The state-owned New Light of Myanmar newspaper said foreign radio broadcasts had wrongly accused the government of deducting the tax from donations deposited in the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank.
The state bank, which usually deducts 10 percent from all foreign currency deposits, has opened special accounts to accept U.S. dollars, euros and Singapore dollars from which all donations would be fully channeled to cyclone survivors, the newspaper said.
Organizations and individuals who have misused relief funds sent from abroad will be punished, it said.
The United Nations estimates that Cyclone Nargis affected 2.4 million people and that more than 1 million of them, mostly in the hardest-hit Irrawaddy delta, still need help. The cyclone killed more than 78,000 people, according to the government.
Although the government said the relief operations have now reached the post-emergency, recovery phase, aid agencies are still concerned that many people are lacking necessities.
"What we're concerned about is premature returns to areas where the services are not yet in a position to be used, to try and make sure we can reach people the best we can no matter where they are," said Amanda Pitt, a U.N. spokeswoman, at a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
The junta has been criticized for dragging its feet on issuing visas and, until recently, not allowing foreign aid workers into the Irrawaddy delta, where most victims are.
Foreign aid agencies, meanwhile, said they studying a new set of guidelines issued by the government for implementing their assistance programs, which would require a large amount of paperwork and repeated contacts with national and local government agencies.
"There were concerns expressed by the humanitarian community that additional steps for seeking approval may unnecessarily delay the relief response," the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said.
The state-owned New Light of Myanmar newspaper said foreign radio broadcasts had wrongly accused the government of deducting the tax from donations deposited in the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank.
The state bank, which usually deducts 10 percent from all foreign currency deposits, has opened special accounts to accept U.S. dollars, euros and Singapore dollars from which all donations would be fully channeled to cyclone survivors, the newspaper said.
Organizations and individuals who have misused relief funds sent from abroad will be punished, it said.
The United Nations estimates that Cyclone Nargis affected 2.4 million people and that more than 1 million of them, mostly in the hardest-hit Irrawaddy delta, still need help. The cyclone killed more than 78,000 people, according to the government.
Although the government said the relief operations have now reached the post-emergency, recovery phase, aid agencies are still concerned that many people are lacking necessities.
"What we're concerned about is premature returns to areas where the services are not yet in a position to be used, to try and make sure we can reach people the best we can no matter where they are," said Amanda Pitt, a U.N. spokeswoman, at a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
The junta has been criticized for dragging its feet on issuing visas and, until recently, not allowing foreign aid workers into the Irrawaddy delta, where most victims are.
However, Tuesday's positive development contrasted with reports that 18 cyclone victims _ women and children _ on their way to the United Nations office to plead for help were arrested in the commercial capital, Yangon.
Authorities detained the 18 as they walked to the U.N. offices in Yangon to complain about not receiving any government assistance, according to a government official who refused to be identified for fear of retaliation.
The group, from Dagon township on the outskirts of Yangon, was bundled into a waiting police car and remains in detention, witnesses said.
Authorities detained the 18 as they walked to the U.N. offices in Yangon to complain about not receiving any government assistance, according to a government official who refused to be identified for fear of retaliation.
The group, from Dagon township on the outskirts of Yangon, was bundled into a waiting police car and remains in detention, witnesses said.
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