6. PUBLIC UTILITIES 68 In order to understand the role of public utilities on urban micro-enterprises, this section focuses on Electricity, Water and Transport and the challenges MEs faced while using them, so as to highlight the opportunities for improvement in the same. 6.1 SOURCES OF ELECTRICITY: CONVENTIONAL AND ALTERNATIVES Electricity services in Myanmar are government owned. The country’s power sector is based on a state-owned single buyer model. Under the Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE), the government buys electricity from public and private producers. MEPE sells that electricity to two entities: the Electricity Supply Enterprise (ESE) and the Yangon Electricity Supply Board (YESB). The ministry of Electric Power (MOEP) oversees the transmission and distribution. (Anderson, 2014) Kyaw’s commercial meter on the left Thet’s sub meter from Pagoda which he uses to run his drilling machine MEs interviewed as a part of this study, carried out their business either from home, markets or Pagodas. The sources and payment of electricity varied in all these places. Across all fiveresearch locations, few MEs were on the national power grid and most depended on alternative sources of electricity for both business and residential use. In Bago, Naypyidaw and Mawlamyine most MEs continued doing their home based family businesses such as making plaster statues, broomsticks, bamboo baskets and coconut rope making. Yangon, the biggest city in Myanmar, had many market places with access to a steady stream of customers, where MEs preferred to conduct their business. Mandalay being the second biggest city and rich in cultural heritage attracted a lot of tourists because of which MEs chose to conduct business in/near the Pagodas and other public spaces where tourists came. The place where the MEs carried out their business determined the source of electricity. At home, some of them were on the power grid while some shared electricity with their and neighbours and some charged their rechargeable lamps at the neighbour’s house. In the market they used battery run lamps predominantly. Those operating their business from the Pagoda either got electricity from the Pagoda trustee or used candles at night. Most of the MEs required electricity for their business at night for lighting purposes. Few MEs interviewed, required electricity for their business through the day. This use of electricity was to operate machines such as the lathe machine (wood turning machine) used by Kyaw, the keychain maker in Bago, wood cutting machine used by Thet, the wood sculptor in Mandalay and drilling machine used by Sein, the wooden pipe maker in Bago.