Rangoon residents have to pay the cost of zinc roofing from the authorities’ donation to rebuild their homes after cyclone Nagris lashed Rangoon.

The Rangoon local authorities have asked zinc companies to provide residents zinc roofing. The authorities are providing five zinc sheets for a household which they put in the market to sell back to residents at 5,000 Kyat per sheet.

"The residents have to sign up again and again to get the zinc to rebuild their homes but they have to buy it again," said a businessman in Rangoon.

The zinc factories cannot operate because of a lack of electricity and raw materials which were destroyed. And the zinc companies can't buy raw materials from other divisions. The factory employees are not able to get work now due to the after effects of the storm.

"Now the Sawbwargyigone sales centre is closed, and iron and zinc are scarce. The prices are rising excessively after cyclone Nargis wrought damage in Rangoon," said the businessman.

The current price of zinc is between 8000 and 9000 Kyat. Before the cyclone the price was 4000 Kyat. Not only are zinc prices rising but also price of iron nails.

"One viss of iron nails is now 50,000 Kyat after cyclone Nargis while one viss was 1500 Kyat before the storm," said an Insein resident who bought iron nail to rebuild his home.