Myanmar’s state-run English-language daily newspaper The New Light of Myanmar said last week that it will be operated in cooperation with local private firm Global Direct Link Co.
A joint venture – Global New Light of Myanmar Co – will be founded and publish the revamped New Light of Myanmar daily.
The Ministry of Information will hold 51 percent of the joint venture’s stakes while the private company will own the rest, according to the News and Periodicals Enterprise under the ministry.
The Myanmar government started media reform in June 2011 and domestic media publication control was liberalised in August 2012.
It announced in December 2012 free publication of private daily newspapers, dissolving its Press Scrutiny and Registration Division.
Since then, 31 private daily newspapers have been allowed for publication, 24 Myanmar-language papers and two English-language papers.
However, the ministry warned that of the granted publications, over two dozens of dailies, journals and magazines, will have the publication permission revoked if they fail to publish in time.
Myanmar now has six state-owned dailies and more than 200 private-run weekly journals in Myanmar, English and Chinese languages as well as over 200 magazines and nearly 7,000 private publishers.
Besides granting publication of private daily newspaper, the government also started to permit more foreign news agencies to station in Myanmar.
