Owner of Raza Min Company, which has gasoline import permits, sentenced to two years in prison and fined 500,000 kyats under the Essential Goods and Services Law

U Nyi Nyi Htwe, owner of Raza Min Company, which has gasoline import permits in Mon State, was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 500,000 kyats by the Mawlamyine Township Court under Section 5 of the Essential Goods and Services Law, according to sources close to the court. U Nyi Nyi Htwe was investigated by responsible officials for illegally smuggling and selling gasoline imported for distribution in Mon State to Kayin State, Hpa-an District, Kya-inn Seik-gyi Township, at a time when the public in Mon State was facing gasoline shortages. Subsequently, U Nyi Nyi Htwe, the managing director of Raza Min Company, was charged under Section 5 of the Essential Goods and Services Law at the Mawlamyine Police Station (Pa) 47/2026. "I heard that U Nyi Nyi Htwe was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 500,000 kyats under Section 5 of the Essential Goods and Services Law, for which a case was filed against him, at the Mawlamyine Township Court in the first week of July," said a source close to the court. Furthermore, U Nyi Nyi Htwe, the owner of Raza Min Company, which has gasoline import permits for Mon State, is also facing ongoing cases at the Thaton District Court related to the illegal smuggling and sale of gasoline to illegal gold miners and extremist organizations in Bilin Township, Mon State. He has also been charged at the Mudon Township Police Station for illegally smuggling and selling gasoline to boats in the sea, according to sources close to the security forces. It is understood that the import, distribution, and sale of gasoline within Mon State are being carried out by Myanmar Energy King Company and Ya Zar Min Industry Company, which won tenders during the tenure of former Mon State Chief Minister U Aung Kyi Thein. Gasoline is being distributed and sold within Mon State through the Puma International Port Terminal jetty in Katonepaw village, Mudon Township. The price of gasoline imported by Myanmar Energy King Company and Ya Zar Min Industry Company, which have obtained permits to import gasoline for Mon State, is higher than in other states and regions of Myanmar, and the public in Mon State is forced to purchase and use it at a high price. Regarding this matter, U Than Zaw, the representative of Kyaikmaraw Township Constituency No. 2 and a state lawmaker, stated during the third day of the second regular session of the third Mon State Hluttaw, held on June 15th at the Mon State Hluttaw meeting hall in Mawlamyine, that the reason the public in Mon State has to pay more for gasoline than in other states and regions is due to Raza Min Company being granted gasoline import permits. In response to the question of whether the Mon State government plans to allow the repurchase of gasoline for Mon State, U Zeyar Oo, a member of the Mon State government and the Minister for Electricity, Energy, Industry, and Transportation, stated that the permission for Raza Min Company to import gasoline was granted to prevent gasoline shortages in Mon State. Minister U Zeyar Oo also stated that the reason for the higher gasoline prices in Mon State compared to other states and regions is that Raza Min Company imports gasoline by purchasing it externally, without receiving foreign currency from the state, which sells it at a lower price. Minister U Zeyar Oo further stated in the Mon State Hluttaw that although efforts are being made to find ways to reduce gasoline prices in Mon State, there are currently no plans to allow the repurchase of gasoline for Mon State from the Thilawa Port in Yangon Region. Although U Nyi Nyi Htwe, the managing director of Raza Min Company, who violated the orders and directives issued by the state, has been sentenced to prison, the Mon State government has not taken any action against the company. Similar to U Nyi Nyi Htwe, the owner and managing director of Raza Min Company, other gasoline entrepreneurs, including U Sein Tin (aka Kasin, 65), owner of Sone Myanmar gasoline station, U Myat Zaw Oo (aka Zaw Oo, 43), owner of Miba Metta gasoline station, and U Hla Win Khine, owner of Min Thant gasoline station, have also been charged at their respective local police stations under the Essential Goods and Services Law for allegedly smuggling and selling gasoline illegally, according to reports. Bo Bo Myint