Naypyidaw Earthquake Relief Bank Accounts Opened but Funds Diverted as Officials and Bank Collude

In Naypyidaw, people were told to open bank accounts to receive earthquake relief funds, but the money never entered the passbooks; the administrator and the bank are colluding to pocket it

September 10

In Tatkon Township, Naypyidaw, according to reports from local residents, people whose names appear on the list of those receiving earthquake relief assistance have been told they cannot receive it through ordinary bank accounts and are being made to open KBZ Special Bank Accounts.

In providing earthquake relief funds, damaged homes are categorized separately as two-story and one-story; for homes with the most damage, a relief payment of 1,164,000 kyats is provided, while those whose homes were partially or half damaged and whose names appear on the list were told they would receive 1.6 million kyats, it is learned.

"Because the earthquake relief money is a large amount, they told us to open Special Accounts so it could all be withdrawn at once. But even after opening the passbooks, the money didn't come into the passbooks. I heard the administrator and the bank manager got together and withdrew it. The earthquake victims are given their money through the ward administrator. What I want to know is how the administrator and the bank manager withdrew the money without the account holder being present. At first I heard the bank wouldn't accept it; later I don't know how they worked it out," an earthquake victim and local resident told MyoTaw.

It is learned that bank passbooks were ordered opened so that relief funds could actually reach the hands of earthquake-affected people directly, and although it was stated that those with the most damage would be given 1,164,000 kyats in earthquake relief funds, in reality, when the money was actually disbursed, there were many people who received only 1.6 million kyats, it is said.

"When they first spoke, they said the money that would go into the passbooks was over 11.6 million kyats. When it was actually disbursed through the village administrator, there were many people who got only 1.6 million kyats. The administrator, the bank, and the village administrators are colluding to pocket it," an earthquake victim and local resident of Bayint Naung Ward told MyoTaw.

During the previous round of assistance as well, instead of giving the iron rods, corrugated sheets, and cement donated by the international community to households that were damaged and lost property in the earthquake, people were summoned to the Bayint Naung office and made to sign acknowledgment letters stating they would take only cash instead of the housing materials to be provided, and they ended up receiving only a small amount of money, it is learned.

It is also learned that the materials meant to be donated as relief to flood victims two years ago were never delivered to the ground and remain in the administrator's office to this day.

MyoTaw News Channel