Nay Pyi Taw February 25
State Administration Council Chairman Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivered address at the Administration Committee meeting (2/2021) held at the meeting hall of the State Administration Council Chairman’s Office here this afternoon.
Also present at the meeting were Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Union Ministers General Mya Tun Oo, Lt-Gen Soe Htut, U Wunna Maung Lwin, Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, U Win Shein, U Aung Naing Oo, U Ko Ko Hlaing, U Chit Naing, U Tin Htut Oo, Admiral Tin Aung San, U Khin Maung Yi,
U Aung Than Oo, U Myint Kyaing, Dr Pwint Hsan, Dr Nyunt Pe, Dr Thet Khaing Win, U Shwe Lay, Dr Thet Thet Khaing, U Maung Maung Ohn, U Saw Tun Aung Myint and Union Attorney-General Dr Daw Thida Oo.
In his address, the Senior General said, the Council has been serving the State duties for nearly a month. During the period, it has implemented the tasks in time. It has also enforced the rule of law. Although it is continuing the task of enforcing the rule of law, it will also carry out other tasks. COVID-19 prevention is an unstoppable job. There were over 113 million positive cases and over 2.5 million deaths worldwide. In Myanmar, positive cases exceeded 140,000 and nearly 3,200 died of the virus. Currently, the infection rate is falling. But it may be due to the drop in the number of checks. No one can guarantee that there was no infection among the crowds occurred during the previous weeks. So, necessary measures must be taken. Hospitals and clinics have to close down because of the CDM. It is an improper act to stay away from providing public healthcare services. The respective ministries should take action against the person causing disturbances to prevent the opening of hospitals.
The best way to prevent COVID-19 infection is to strictly observe the rules and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports. The COVID-19 vaccination program continues in accord with the schedule. Efforts are being made to get vaccines and more vaccines will arrive in Myanmar under contracts. Private companies are systematically permitted to import the vaccines under the approval of the respective ministries. People will be able to work or pursue education only if they are healthy. Administration councils at region/state, district and township levels will steer the people to systematically follow the COVID-19 prevention and containment procedures. Efforts are being made to reopen the schools.
In the economic sector, agricultural tasks that see least impact during the COVID-19 outbreak must be implemented to boost productivity. Respective administration
councils at various levels need to supervise for that matter. Agricultural businesses must be encouraged for food security which is crucial for the country. Encouragement is also necessary for livestock breeding. There are good land and water resources for agricultural and livestock undertakings so they must be tapped beneficially. Livestock breeding tasks must be carried out in a systematic manner. Efforts must be made to produce abundant food for the country. Fish breeding is easy. Watercourses and water bodies must be provided with fingerlings of various species. Systematic undertakings of agricultural and livestock breeding tasks will ensure domestic food security as well as commercial production. With decreasing rainfall annually, water must be efficiently used. Damming creeks and streams will be able to store water for irrigation purposes. This also leads to temperate climate. In addition to storing water, running water in the rivers, creeks and ditches must be maintained as well. River water pumping projects need to be implemented again. If renewable energy projects like solar power can be implemented along the Ayeyawady River for river water pumping, the villages in the area will enjoy irrigation water and electricity. So, all should try to conserve the Ayeyawady River.
In the sport sector, sports and games suspended for nearly a year should resume. As Myanmar traditional martial art can be played by everyone and is a self defence, it should be designated as a national sport. Despite the ongoing system of cost sharing in public healthcare in the health sector, it is regrettable to see losses caused by poverty and unaffordability. For this issue, appropriate part of salary should be raised for healthcare funds, and free healthcare must be considered at people’s hospitals for the public ranging from civil servants.
US$-3 billion has to be spent annually on import of fuel in the energy sector. Five percent of those fuels is spent on generating electricity and the remaining 95 percent on transport and factories. To reduce fuel usage in the transport sector, relevant ministries need to manufacture portable electric cars as a first step for inter-city travel and short journeys. Transport sector is important for the country. Therefore, measures must be taken for opening the railroads and motor roads quickly and for their betterment. The Yangon-Mandalay railroad project being implemented in partnership with JICA must be completed quickly.
Import of edible palm oil also costs over US$-500 million a year. Efforts will be made to reduce import and ensure domestic sufficiency. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation and respective administration councils at various levels must encourage agriculture by motivating the people. Cutting fuel and edible palm oil imports will also reduce deficits. Every responsible official from this committee need to work hard and give suggestions for national economic growth and all-round national development, the Senior General said.
Then, Union Ministers U Win Shein, U Tin Htut Oo, U Aung Naing Oo, U Aung Than Oo and U Shwe Lay and Union Attorney -General Dr Daw Thida Oo explained matters related to approval for signing the agreement, appointment, signing of the agreement, exemption and renewal of the agreement.
Then, Union Ministers U Tin Htut Oo, U Chit Naing, U Win Shein, U Myint Kyaing, Dr Thet Khaing Win, Dr Pwint Hsan, U Aung Than Oo, Dr Nyunt Pe, U Maung Maung Ohn, Dr Thet Thet Khaing and U Saw Tun Aung Myint and Union Attorney-General Dr Daw Thida Oo reported on supplying fishes to rivers, creeks, lakes and dams in the entire country, releasing news, systematic spending of government funds, providing social security cash assistance and healthcare services,
vaccination against COVID-19, the reduction of imports of edible palm oil, preparations for reopen-ing schools, plans for hydropower projects, signing of ASEAN tourism agreement, social protection and organizing festivals of national races.
After hearing the reports, the Senior General urged them to appoint staff who are loyal to the state, to lead staff unitedly without discrimination, to promote staff who fulfil their duties and to take action in accordance with the law against staff who violate rules and regulations before pointing out that changing eating habits by reducing the consumption oil can contribute to health and prevention of smuggling goods through illegal routes can increase the revenues of the State.
The Senior General added that ministries are required to encourage research and development for the development of respective sectors, to take measures to reopen factories and workshops that have been suspended, to review operations that are suffering losses and to monitor staff to prevent them from posting matters that can undermine the stability and security of the State on social media. The Senior General said that efforts are being made to implement a valuable democratic system as democracy is valuable only when it is adopted in accordance with the law and repayment of loans that amounted to two months’ salaries to government employees will be suspended for some time. The Senior General continued that it is necessary to make further efforts for development of Nay Pyi Taw as it is the capital of the country and to attract foreign investors for education, agriculture, livestock breeding sectors and to open factories and workshops that will not damage the environment to Nay Pyi Taw as it was founded at the hub of the country. In conclusion, the Senior General said that the 81-foot-high world’s largest marble Buddha image is being built in Nay Pyi Taw for the public and urged all to exert efforts for the development of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory.
