NAY PYI TAW August 8
A coordination meeting on the accomplishments of Union government was held at State Administration Council Chairman’s Office this morning addressed by Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present were SAC Vice Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win, SAC members, the Secretary and the Joint Secretary, Union ministers, the Nay Pyi Taw Council chairman, chief ministers of regions and states, chairman of self-administered areas.
The Senior General said SAC takes the political leadership role and Union level bodies, ministries, and local governments of regions, states and self-administered areas are implementing the adopted policies. Since its assumption of the duties, SAC has been implemented the adopted five-point roadmap.
The main reason behind the SAC’s assumption of duties is the political problems arising from the election results. The situation will be different if the 2020 general election was fair.
The Senior General met with leaders of political parties due to their request during the postelection period. They presented the improper conducts of the ruling party at the meeting.
The Senior General said he made direct and indirect contacts with the persons who were responsible for the actions. The importance of a free and fair election was mention again and again as the election is the core of democracy. The scope of restrictions was further extended and the voter list had a lot of flaws. Based on the country’s population growth rate, there appeared a large gap between the 2020 voter lists and 2015 voter lists. Flaws were found when the voter lists were rechecked.
The Senior General said he had requested the relevant persons by himself and through the officials to call the Hluttaw only after solving the problem.
SAC had to declare a state of emergency and assume State duties as there were attempts to convene the parliament.
The State Administration Council, since its assumption of the State responsibilities, has been conducting the tasks to check voter lists. And, deserved action was taken against responsible persons in causing the vote-rigging process. In checking the voter lists so as to emerge the correct voter lists, the findings of inspection showed the persons who cast votes without citizenship scrutiny cards, those who voted two times and the list of dead persons casting votes.
It was based on lack of scrutiny.
So, the relevant organizations scrutinized necessities and most of the scrutiny process has been completed. As CSCs were issued to those who cast votes without turning 18 in the 2020 elections, almost 100 percent of work process has completed except some instable areas.
Likewise, CSCs are being issued to the citizens who do not have the cards. Citizenship scrutiny cards are issued to all ethnic people and those who having right of citizenship as quickly as possible. On the other hand, it is necessary to take care of doing misconducts in issuing the CSC to non-citizenship persons. Citizenship scrutiny cards are issued to all ethnic people and those who having right of citizenship as quickly as possible. On the other hand, officials need to restrict the misconducts in issuing the CSC to non-citizenship persons.
Many points of weakness can be seen in the census of the nation.
Although the census showed 55 million of total population, there are some four million of population abroad. Hence, it is necessary to know actually socioeconomic status of the people.
The Senior General pledged to implement the plan of the Ministry of Immigration and Population of the previous government to continue enumeration of the census across the nation. Upon completion, number of population as correctly as possible can be secured.
In the roadmap of the nation, the second point emphasizes resurging of businesses with loss triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination. The country has undertaken vaccination to the people to some extent.
Infection of disease reaches 0.3 percent in the nation, lessening the infection rate rather than neighbouring countries.
But, it is not to be satisfied with the downtrend of infection rate, and vaccination process must be done continuously.
Everybody needs to accept vaccination for full times. If one person takes at least four times of vaccination, preventive measures of COVID-19 will be more effective, according to the medical experts.
The government is directly responsible for implementation of the economic objectives. With regard to the economic sector, three objectives were adopted as to enhance production based on agriculture and livestock through modern techniques and strengthen all-round development in other sectors of the economy; to develop a stable market economy and promote international investment in order to enhance the economic development of the entire national people; and to promote and support local businesses to create employment opportunities and increase domestic production.
Some 70 percent of the total population of the nation is residing in the rural areas, engaging in agriculture and livestock farms which play a key role in the businesses and it is related to the small and medium scale enterprises.
The country is endowed with above and underground natural resources, cultivable lands, marine resources and agricultural water. More than 50 percent of some 55 million population are workable. According to the census, the workable forces and job opportunities can be seen in the nation. Currently, it is necessary to utilize the workable human resources and improve the capacity of youths who will be workable forces in new generations. As such, it is necessary to encourage the KG+9 plan of education sector. Moreover, students will be taught technologies at universities and colleges.
One of the factors to be considered is that youths tend to work while studying nowadays.
Therefore, the best way for the government is to make efforts to provide them with middle and high school education and to train them to become experts in agriculture and livestock breeding based on their education. Businesses are one of the sectors to be taken into serious consideration.
Reviewing the manufacturing and export sectors during the five-year term of the previous government, it was found that the economy of the country started falling as of 2018. Rice is the main export item and it is necessary to boost rice yields.
As agricultural products are the main export commodities of the country, measures are being taken for agricultural development. Therefore, chief ministers and chairman of self-administered areas are required to place emphasis on agriculture.
Schools have been reopened since last year to nurture human resources and the matriculation examinations were held. The Ministry of Education is required to take measures to prevent absence of students and to enable them to receive real education.
Emphasis must now be placed on enabling all schoolaged children to go to school when schools are reopened in June 2023. Although primary level is stipulated as the compulsory education in the constitution, the government has taken measures to enable students to study up to KG+9 free of charge. However, it was learnt that some schools collect charges and it is necessary for relevant administrative bodies to monitor them properly.
New districts were designated to streamline administrative functions. Relevant chief ministers of state and regions are required to make sure that administrative mechanisms of new districts function properly.
The agriculture, education and health sectors are ones that can enhance the efficiency of the country. If district level officials carry out their tasks properly,
progress can be achieved. Plans are underway to open agriculture, livestock breeding and technical high schools in basic education high schools in 50 districts. The purpose is to nurture human resources necessary for agriculture and livestock breeding. Outstanding students among them are required to study at institutes of agriculture and livestock breeding while others can continue to study art and science subjects as usual.
Prosperity of the country and the production of abundant supplies of food have been designated as two national goals.
To produce abundant supplies of food, there are many things the country can carry out. Rice, pulses and beans and corn can be produced sufficiently at home and the crops are being exported to other countries. Oil crops such as peanut and sesame are also exported but edible oil has to be imported from other countries. It was learnt that about 400,000 acres of oil palms are cultivated in the country.
Compared with neighbouring countries, Cultivation and yields of oil palm are very low in Myanmar. It is important to exert efforts to meet the production target of oil palm.
Only then, will the country achieve self-sufficiency of edible oil. The government hopes that self-sufficiency of edible oil after the second cultivation season in 2023 if the cultivation of edible oil is carried out effectively and to reduce the import of edible oil. Measures must be taken to produce enough edible oil in Taninthayi Region and surplus edible oil must be mainly supplied to Mon State. It is possible to fulfil the demand of other states and regions by producing edible oil from sunflower, sesame, peanut, niger and soya bean.
As for rice production, there are 15 million acres of monsoon paddy and about 3 million acres of summer paddy. Despite over 17 million acres, production target has yet to be met. Reviewing the total acreage, export and remaining stocks in respective seasons, there are no great surpluses and the situation should be taken note of. For monsoon paddy, about 75 baskets per yield is estimated. If efforts are made to produce about 80 baskets of monsoon paddy per acre, an additional 75 million baskets can be produced. Likewise, it is estimated to produce about 90 basket of summer paddy per acre. And efforts to produce around 95 baskets will see an additional 15 million baskets.
In total, there will be about 90 million baskets more, paying the way for the State to earn more income. Systematic measures should be taken by setting such aims. Emphasis must paid on correct rice production and per-acre yield. The government for its party must help provide agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation water.
For enough irrigation water in summer, it is also necessary to ensure that storage water and underground water are efficiently used. The success in agricultural undertakings will create job opportunities and income. Then, consumption and demand will increase thereby contributing to socioeconomic life. Region and state chief ministers need to try for agricultural and livestock breeding development based on rural areas. The breeding of layers and pigs can generate income within a short time, so capitals and investments must be provided. The chief ministers must focus on regional development tasks covering their whole regions and states.
Only with the socio-economic improvement of rural people, will national progress be achieved speedily. Regarding the energy sector, oil and oil products worth about US$-1.3 billion have to be imported. Therefore, imports must be reduced. The country can produce oil to a certain extent, and it is necessary to extract oil systematically from shallow wells in some regions.
Systematic measures must be taken for oil production to benefit the country.
It is necessary to carry out hydropower plant projects regionally and to consider electricity generation from water and solar resources in the coming year for ensuring sufficient power supply regionally. Regionally sufficient generation of electricity will be helpful to ensure improvement of socioeconomic life of local people to some extent and help reduce nation’s power demand as well.
Regarding sports, it needs to take time to nurture and produce outstanding athletes as it is the thing that could not be done immediately to be developed. Walking, running and doing physical exercises are the easiest sports for public health. Only if it is healthy, other matters can be carried out.
Therefore, chief ministers and officials are to work carefully themselves and push and supervise others at different levels under them. Long-term expectation must be conceived in building sports stadiums regionally. Chief ministers and officials are urged to find ways to ensure benefits for the public in regions and states. I want the officials at this meeting to present future plans that will really benefit the State and the region concerned and the tasks done over the past 18 months when the government has taken responsibilities of the State.
Afterwards, the Chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, chief ministers of regions and states gave power-point presentations on the state of regionwise tasks on administration, security, rule of law, economy, health, agriculture and livestock,
development, and social duties. The Senior General gave necessary instructions on their reports.
