I am a pensioner. When I was in service, I was worried, thinking how I would have to deal with commodity prices with my pension. However, in practice, I find my pension enough for my meals. So, my worries about that are no more now.
To my surprise, recently, some persons including the UN resident representative made accusations that on average, a Myanmar citizen could hardly spent one US dollar a day, as though Myanmar people were starving. That also gave me a laugh.

At the rate of one US dollar a day is right, but the accusation is totally wrong. In reality, the accusation was part of the plot designed to cause regime change through mass demonstrations by misleading the people into misunderstanding the government that the majority of the people were getting into troubles due to high commodity prices, and harming the people’s admiration for the government.

It was also intended to fuel the September protest marches. Apparently, the accusation was just a political trickery because it meant to say that Myanmar was the poorest country in the world and that the ruling government was not in a position to deal with the economic crisis. And it urged the international community to help the certain political party come to power.
Well, let’s weigh the accusation to find out whether the fact that Myanmar people rely on htaminyay (surplus water drained off while rice is cooked) for meals is correct. Myanmar people mainly consume rice, edible oil, salt and shrimp paste for their meals. On average, a citizen consumes a day 1.6 condensed milk tins of rice, three to five ticals of meat, 1.67 ticals of edible oil, 0.80 tical of onion, 0.12 tical of garlic, 0.23 tical of dry chilli and six ticals of vegetables. According to these rates, a day’s meal of an urban folk costs only K 880.36. Other costs amount to only 102.49 kyats. So, a day’s living cost of an urban dweller is only K 1260.7, equivalent to 97 cents. A day’s living cost of a rural folk is 682.9 kyats or 53 US cents. The less cost is because of cheaper commodity prices, not because of no access to nutritious foods. In short, commodity prices are lower in rural areas due to regional stability, security and preservation of natural resources. Bamboo shoot, tamarind leaves and other vegetables are abundant in rural areas. In anyar (arid) regions, tomatoes are exposed to the sun and stored for all-year round consumption. Young tamarind leaves, red silk cotton buds and groundnut are seasoned for long-term consumption. There is a lovely tradition in rural areas that voluntary services are provided to those in need, for instance contribution towards building and rebuilding houses with the use of forest products such as timber, bamboo and thatches.

In Singapore, the price of a bag of rice is about 27.15 US dollars or K 36,245. So, a small basket of rice is worth K 1510 there. A small basket of rice of similar quality is worth only K 700 in Myanmar, and K 1500 in Vietnam. A bag of Thai Emahta 25% rice (FOB) is worth K 21,694 in the international rice market, and K 16,800 in Myanmar, accounting for a gap of K 4894 or 23 per cent.

On 26-11-2007, the petrol price (one gallon) is K 7932 in Singapore, K 12,739 in England, K 12,086 in Hong Kong, K 11,325 in the Republic of Korea, K 4025 in the US, and K 2500 (government fixed price) and K 4000 to 5000 (open market rate) in Myanmar. And the diesel price (one gallon) is K 5552 in Singapore, K 13,112 in England, K 5648 in Hong Kong, K 9990 in the Republic of Korea, K 4005 in the US, and K 3000 (newly-fixed price) and K 4600 to 5500 in Myanmar.
The prices of crude oil and diesel (barrel) increased to 99.04 US dollars and 110.19 US dollars on 26 November, up from 71.95 US dollars and 80.14 US dollars in the world market on 14 August when the fuel oil prices were hiked in the country. However, the government is still selling fuel at a loss.

How can a citizen stand his living with one US dollar in those foreign countries? The following table shows different rates of one day’s living cost for a middle-class man in some countries.

Therefore, very clear is why Myanmar people can lead their lives at low living costs.
I would like to present the issue of the national statistics office regarding the higher living costs in Britain. It said that if compared with the previous month, the price of milk (one pint) had increased to 33.5 pennies by 12 per cent and that of butter by 18 per cent; that the price of a loaf of bread had risen to record rate of £ 1.2 from 9 pennies, and it was likely to increase by 4 pennies; that the price of long bean (one kilo) had grown from £ 1.9 to 1.97, a dozen of eggs, from £ 1.62 to 2.35, and orange juice (one litre) from 73 to 88 pennies; that the people in England were suffering high consumer prices; that a citizen had to spend over £ 971 more if compared with previous living costs; and that the people were facing high prices in making payments for purchase of houses, cars and things in installment, and use of credit cards.
It said that in addition to the said difficulties, the people of England were also facing higher government taxation rates, and continuously high interests. Food observer Andrew Saunders of Panmure Gordon in Britain said that he had never witnessed such inflation rates of foodstuff; and that then higher production costs directly affected retail sellers and they then hit the consumers. Vicky Redwood of the Capital Economics said that consumers were surprisingly experiencing higher commodity prices. It was viewed that higher consumer prices in England had affirmed the economists’ warning that the period in which foods were available at reasonable prices had already eclipsed.
The people have to take notice regarding commodity prices in Myanmar that economic sanctions imposed wrongly by some western powers against Myanmar, bans of financial assistance of the banks such as the World Bank, flow of foreign currency and foreign investments and the dissuading of tourists from visiting the nation have resulted from instigation of internal anti-government political parties. And they are taking advantage of consumer price hikes to persuade the people to take part in protests. The majority of the people did not take part in the September protests and that has indicated that they favour stability, safety, peace and prevalence of law and order.
I would say that Myanmar people lead their lives at reasonable rates of consumer prices, and living in Myanmar is worth it.