History of Electric Power

                        In the period approached to independence of Myanmar, the national leaders set strategies and plans for the development of the country: to promote and expand the agricultural sector with advanced technologies; to exploit the natural resources effectively by cooperating with local industries. The leaders also realized that electricity played a vital role to implement above strategies. Therefore, in June 1947, they decided to implement the hydropower projects which were enormous resources in Myanmar, and could be implemented by suitable budgets as a first priority.They put those plans in two years plan for Economic Development of the Union of Myanmar (1947).

                        In early post-independence time, Electricity Supply Board (ESB) was organized under the Ministry of Industry on 1st October 1951 complied with the Electricity Act of 1948. On 16th March 1972, it was changed as Electric Power Corporation (EPC). On 1st April 1975, the Ministry of Industry was divided into the Ministry of Industry (1) and the Ministry of Industry (2) and hence the Electric Power Corporation (EPC) was composed under the Ministry of Industry (2). On 12th April 1985, the Ministry of Industry (2) was expanded with the Ministry of Energy  and the EPC was composed under the Ministry of Energy. On 1st April 1989, the EPC was changed into the Myanma Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE). On 15th November 1997, the Ministry of Electrical Power was organized, and there were three departments under it: the Department of Electrical Power, the Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise and the Department of Hydropower. On 15th May 2006, the ministry was divided into No 1 and No 2, and on 5th September 2012, they were composed again into one Ministry as the Ministry of Electrical Power (MOEP) under which there were three departments, two enterprises and two corporations. On 1^st April 2016, the MOEP was composed with the Ministry of Energy to form the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) under which there were four departments, five enterprises and two corporations.

History of Energy

          During the British colonial period and from getting the independence to 31^st December 1962, Burma Oil Company (B.O.C) controlled the Myanma Oil Industry including production, refining and distribution of oil. On 1^st January 1963, all the above operations in Myanmar were carried out by the Public Oil Enterprise, which was state owned, under the Ministry of Mine, and it was changed as Myanma Oil Corporation by the notification letter (1/70) of the Ministry of Mine dated on 28^th February 1970. Myanma Oil Corporation conducted oil exploration, drilling , production, refining and distribution of petroleum products , and on 1^st April 1975, the refineries and petroleum products distribution industries were composed under the Ministry of Industry (2) by the agreement of the 26^th Meeting of State Council hold on 28^th February 1975 .Then starting from 1^st August 1977,  the whole corporation  was composed under the Ministry of Industry (2) by the notification letter (10/77) of the cabinet’s letter No. 87 Wa Pha 77 (4) dated on 29^th July 1977. Three corporations which conducted the functions under the ministry were as follows:

(1)     Myanma Oil Corporation

(2)     Petrochemical Industrial Corporation

          (3)     Petroleum Products Supply Corporation

The Ministry of Energy was organized by the notification letter (41/85) of the State Council of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma dated on 12^th April 1985 and the notification letter (5/85) of the cabinet dated on 12^th April 1985.There were six organizations under it as follows:

          (1)     Minister’s Office (new organization)

          (2)     Energy Planning Department (new organization)

          (3)     Myanma Oil Corporation

          (4)     Petrochemical and Gas Corporation

          (5)     Petroleum Products Corporation

          (6)     Electric Power Corporation

By the notification letter (2/89) of the cabinet of the Union of Myanmar dated on 31^st March 1989, it was declared to change the name of the state owned enterprises ,and hence the four corporations under the Ministry of Energy were changed as follows:

          (1)     Minister’s Office

          (2)     Energy Planning Department

          (3)     Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise

          (4)     Myanma Petrochemical Enterprise

          (5)     Myanma Pertoleum Products Enterprise

          (6)     Myanma Electric Power Enterprise

By the letter No. 40/97 Ah Pha Ya 97 (3) of the cabinet of the Union of Myanmar dated on 16^th November 1997, Myanma Electric Power Enterprise was changed and organized as the Ministry of Electric Power, and hence the departments and enterprises under the Ministry of Energy became as follows:

          (1)     Minister’s Office

          (2)     Energy Planning Department

          (3)     Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise

          (4)     Myanma Petrochemical Enterprise

          (5)     Myanma Pertoleum Products Enterprise

Ministry of Electricity and Energy

          On 1^st April 2016, Ministry of Electric Power (MOEP) and Ministry of Energy (MOE) were composed into one Ministry as the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) under which there were four Departments, five Enterprises and two Corporations.