Transportation costs are still high on the Indo-Myanmar border trade no. 2.  Traders said vehicle fares and transportation charges are still high on the Tiau-Tidim-Kalemyo Road at Kyat 10,000 per passenger from Tiau to Kalemyo. It is Kyat 9000 per passenger from Kalemyo to Tiau. Food costs an additional Kyat 2500 per plate on the way.

The prices of some commodities are going down in central Myanmar including oil. In Chin state also the earlier Falam service bus fare was Kyat 6500. It has been reduced to Kyat 4000. The Kaley-Falam bus fare has also gone down to Kyat 5000 and the Hakha-Mandaley service costs Kyat 16,000 from the previous fare Kyat 18,000. But the Indo-Myanmar border trade service fare is still remains the same.

"Fares on the Indo-Myanmar border trade road should be brought down in Myanmar . We are still paying the same fare and the same price for food. It is frustrating for traders," said a trader of Chin in Mizoram.

A Falam local said that petrol and diesel prices are now down to Kyat 4500 per gallon from Kyat 6000. An old Ayeyamin-rice bag costs Ks. 20,000 from 25,000. A new rice bag is Kyat 14,000 now.

Although prices of most of commodities are going down, Chin people cannot purchase the rice per bag, they can only buy 1 or 2 kilograms at a time because they don't have enough money, said a person who did not want to be named.

In fact, the price of commodities has come down in December 2008 in the whole country. Therefore, a bag of old rice costs Kyat 9000, new rice is Kyat 5000, petrol Kyat 3000 per gallon, diesel Kyat 2500 per gallon in Kalemyo, Sagaing Division, western Myanmar .

Though it is difficult to figure out the reason for falling prices in Myanmar , most people believe that the military junta has seen to it to woo voters and government servants for the coming 2010 general elections.