YANGON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is planning to implement more government employee housing projects in eight townships in Mandalay region in the fiscal year 2018-19, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Friday.

The 248 employee apartments will be constructed by the Mandalay Region Urban and Housing Development Department in Mogok, Meiktila, Kyaukpadaung, Thazi, Mahlaing, Yamethin, Mingyan and Nyaung U.

The retired civil service personnel have priority to buy the apartment, U Thet Naing, the department's director, was quoted as saying.

Currently, there is a civil staff housing project under construction in the region's Patheingyi township which covers 500 apartments and is nearing completion.

There are more than 56,000 civil staff in the Mandalay region but the government can only provide accommodation for 4.9 percent of them, the report said.

President U Win Myint vowed on Tuesday to build 10,000 more housing units for government employees in the remaining three years' term of the incumbent government under an extended program.

He said that during its last two years' term, the government had built 4,627 housing units for the public service personnel across the country, pledging that the government will work hard on a priority basis for the great number of service personnel to have at least a house or apartment to live in dignity when they retire.

People's socio-economic development is among the three objectives laid down by the president as priorities to be pursued after he was sworn in to office on March 30.