MGR Online — Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing has called on the public to continue supporting the government's fuel conservation measures, which include an odd-even vehicle licence plate system and a work-from-home scheme every Wednesday.
The Myanmar leader made the remarks during his annual policy address to parliament, saying the measures would significantly reduce fuel consumption.
"Through the odd-even licence plate vehicle usage system and the Wednesday work-from-home programme, fuel consumption has been reduced by approximately 1.2 million gallons per day, equivalent to savings of around 7 million US dollars per day, or 210 million US dollars per month, and more than 1 billion US dollars in total to date. We ask the public to continue cooperating with these fuel-saving efforts," President Min Aung Hlaing said.
The Myanmar leader said that global crude oil prices averaged around 84 US dollars per barrel in 2024 and approximately 72 US dollars in 2025, but surged to around 126 US dollars per barrel in 2026 following conflict in the Middle East. This increase has driven up operating costs for fuel-dependent businesses, while Myanmar spends approximately 5 billion US dollars per year on fuel imports.
He said that as a result, fuel conservation must be adopted as a national policy to ease the country's import burden.
President Min Aung Hlaing added that the government is expanding the railway sector to reduce reliance on fuel-intensive road transport, and as part of the government's first 100-day plan, he noted that the government has proceeded with improvements to the Yangon–Mandalay, Yangon–Mawlamyine, and Yangon–Pyay railway lines.
