April
26, 2017
Four ministries
jointly held a press conference in Nay Pyi Taw on their performance in the
first one-year period.
Ministry of
Commerce
Union Minister
for Commerce Dr Than Myint disclosed that Myanmar’s agricultural product export
is still relying on narrow market of neghbouring countries though the country
has seen expanded market.
“Myanmar is
facing a decrease in income from export of agricultural products and loss of
tax due to illegal export to neighbouring countries, meanwhile its natural
resources are depleting,” said Dr Than Myint.
Meanwhile,
illegal import of foodstuff has damaged local small and medium businesses and
has caused health hazards to local people, he added.
The Ministry of
Commerce participated in the 8th World Rice Conference in Thailand and could
find 53 new export markets including Africa, according to the ministry.
Since Myanmar
received the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), the ministry has
been working to export its agricultural products to 28 EU countries.
In the 2016-2017
fiscal year, the country saw a decrease of about US$1,4 billion in the natural
gas export and US$ 200 million in the jade and mineral export, though it earned
extra US$480 million in the agricultural and fisheries and livestock export
sector.
Agricultural
products export in the 2016-2017 FY reached more than US$ 2.9 billion, an
increase of US$315 million compared with the previous FY.
Ministry of
Education Due to the National Education Law, the education period in Myanmar is
exactly in-line with ASEAN member countries said Union Minister for Education
Dr. Myo Thein Gyi.
He said the
priority works in the government education sector reform are in providing early
childhood nurturing and development program, providing at least a primary level
education to all and increasing access to middle and high school level
education, providing education to physically and financially handicapped
children and children in difficult and least developed areas, compiling
syllabus for ethnic languages under the supervision of region and state
governments to support the ethnic language and culture, arranging for adequate
number of teachers to obtain a good student-teacher ratio, arranging to
increase the teaching proficiency the teachers, providing education materials
to schools in difficult and least developed areas as well as to middle and high
school that lacks the education materials, developing the right to draw own
curriculum, have independent administration and freedom of
research in universities to attain a world level education system, equal
development of the vocational training schools, institutes and universities,
providing an effective education service that is not a burden to the parents,
students and the community, utilizing the education funds obtained from the
government, private and public effectively and transparently and implementing
education reform management and study programs based on correct and precise
information.
During the
academic year 2016-2017, a total of 3,312 schools were newly opened/upgraded
out of which 2,375 were in difficult and least developed areas. At the basic
education level sector, an increase of 522 schools, 18,697 teachers and 422,267
students were achieved during the academic year 2016-2017.
Under the
teacher mentoring program, central level trainings, teacher mentor trainings,
work discussions, workshop on Teacher Mentoring Cluster Support Program and
review workshop on implementation process were conducted.
There were
10,299 schools with 20,673 teachers and 558,641 students that are taught in 49
different ethnic languages.
In off-school
and life-long education programs, Nay Pyi Taw Council and 30 townships
conducted 2080 teaching circles for 205,727 person, 7 townships in Kayah State
conducted 455 teaching circles with 455 teachers for 5,335 person and 9
townships in Taunggyi conducted 2,596 teaching circles with 2,680 teachers for
26,794 person.
Ministry of
Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock & Irrigation and Ministry of
Hotels &Tourism set up Nyaung Shwe Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) and
conducted hotel reception basic training, housekeeping training, food and
beverage training, training on producing farm and plantation products under the
GAP system, training on planting, fish breeding training, training on repair
and maintaining single cylinder engine, basic electrical and computer
trainings.
According to the
Human Development
Report 2016,
Myanmar was at Low Human Development Index Rank in 2015 and was upgraded to
Medium Human Development Index Rank in 2016.
Ministry of
Information Union Minister for Information
Dr. Pe Myint
said today’s event is one of the ministry’s performance. Conducting such press
conferences is the duty of the ministry. Press conferences were held throughout
the year in this hall for spoke persons and media to meet and to set up good relationship
between the two. This is to set up the culture of meeting
between the three pillars and the fourth pillar. As we pass through this year,
I can see that this culture has also been fairly established.
Suggestion was
made for officials to answer to the media’s question and for the media to
publish their findings to the public effectively. The reason in suggesting this
to both side is for the people in our country to get the news completely. This
is the development/ progress of our media.
It is learnt
that some do not fully understand what information is. People immediately see
television and newspaper when they hear information. Information department is
not answering questions only. In addition to answering question, information
that people need to know must be released. It is more of submitting a report.
As a government formed by the elected representatives of the people, the
Ministry of Information report about what is being done for the people. That is
why reporting is added into the definition of information.
Information
sector is required in anything that is related to the public. Government is a
big organization that is conducting many things nationwide in various sectors
like education, health, culture, international relationship and thus
information department at the ministerial level need to be set up.
Looking at the
information related ministries of the world, countries like Cambodia, Egypt,
Israel, Indonesia and Bangladesh had the word “information” while India had
“Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Some used the word “Communication”.
Myanmar had Ministry of Information prior to independence.
In the present
Ministry of Information, there is Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV), News and
Periodicals Enterprise (NPE), Information and Public Relations
Department (IPRD), and Printing and Publishing Department (PPD).
PPD is the
earliest department and it is doing the same thing now as it did under the
British government. Under the British, the British government’s gazette and
letters were printed. Central Printing Press in Yangon is more than 100 years
old. Providing information and news are the main observable duties of the
Ministry of Information. In other word, it is the work of submitting reports to
the people. It is done through radio, television and newspapers.
Myanmar
literature development and increasing the knowledge of the people is the
function of PPD and IPRD. There was a well-known, respected and valued
department in Myanmar once. It is Sarpay Beikman. We are developing Sarpay
Beikman and it is now preparing to publish the Myanmar encyclopedia.
Throughout the
year, political paper reading, history paper reading, and book fairs were held.
Soon, paper reading on translation will be held. Paper readings and book fairs
are Ministry of Information’s work to develop Myanmar literature and increase
the knowledge
of the people.
Ministry of
Information had held child literacy events and all these events were teeming
with people and could be considered a success. Yangon’s Theinbyu Road Book
Street was also held successfully, the Union Minister said.
Ministry of
Industry
U Ko Ko Lwin,
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry said Good Storage Practice (GSP) in
accordance with the norms and standards of the WHO was introduced to pharmaceutical
factories of the ministry to manufacture medical products under the Good
Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and distribute directly to Ministry of Health and
Sports and other ministries.
Bogus drugs with
BPI trademarks and expired drugs in the markets were investigated, tested and
rounded up in September and action taken against the bogus drug makers. In
order to prevent production of BPI trademarked bogus drugs and provide a better
quality packaging, 69 pills, 1 medical powder, 64 injection vials were produced
in new packaging.
Morphine sulfate
syrup and morphine sulfate tablets for cancer patients are undergoing stability
test and measures are being taken for producing Tenofovir (300 mg) for HIV and
Hepatitis B patients. A new anti-venom production building was opened at the
Pharmaceutical Factory (Insein) on 20 May 2016 to increase anti-venom
production. Steel hospital equipment and instrument were produced and
distributed to Ministry of Health & Sports. Hospital beds embedded with
locker and medicine cupboards are test produced under a pilot scheme.
In the
agricultural sector, the ministry has innovated farm equipment according to the
need of farmers and changes have been made in the hydraulic system and clutch
of Zwe tractor, powered tillers, harvesters and small rice mills and sold into
the market.
For private
sector industrial development, state-owned factories and mills went into
partnership with private sector through inviting local and foreign investments
in order to secure technology and capital.
Altogether, 59
out of 118 factories under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry are now
running in public-private partnership. In an attempt to develop financing to
small and medium enterprises in Myanmar, 456 business owners were provided with
special government loans and 189 business owners were provided with Two Step
Loan from Japan. According to the Central Bank of Myanmar Law, repayment period
is one year but the repayment period for the special government loan and
Japan’s Two Step Loan was set at 5 years for increased circulation of
investment.
Approvals were
given to 648 business owners to obtain loan. In 2016 only CB bank practiced
Credit Guarantee Insurance (CGI) system but discussion were conducted with KBZ
Bank and Small and Medium Industrial Development Bank (SMIDB) who also wanted
to practice the CGI system. Discussions are held with Thailand’s Kasikorn Bank
to cooperate in development of Myanmar SME.
Afterward, Union
Ministers, Deputy Ministers and officials replied to the questions of the
media.
Excerpts from
the Q and A session of the press conference
Ministry of
Education Deputy Minister U Win Maw Htun from the Ministry of Education
answered questions on the National Education Bylaw, granting of licenses to
teachers, the expected number of applicants of teachers in the coming year and
criticism of giving passing grade for passing in only one academic subject. The
Deputy Minister replied that the academic bylaw has been drafted and is being
applied according to each sector while teachers will be granted licenses or
another form of professional acknowledgement after the Private School Act has
been ratified. Appointing of new teachers in the 2017-2018 academic year will
be dependent on the requirements of each district. As to the complaints of
giving pass grade for passing only one subject, the deputy minister and other
officials replied that it is valid only for the final examinations as progress
evaluation is carried out throughout the whole ten academic months. There
should be increased awareness of the difference between doing well on the exam
and actually learning something, which is why the evaluation reports throughout
the entire academic year, is added at the end of the 2-hour long final
examination.
The Deputy
Minister also replied to a question posed on whether universities will move
from a central administration system and if the Yangon University Students’
Union (YUSU) will be reestablished, saying that currently universities already
have free administration with only the financial sector administrated by the
Union Minister, while the budget for the construction of the Ks5.2 billion YUSU
building has already been approved.
Ministry of
Information
Union Minster
for Information Dr. Pe Myint replied to a question regarding the publishing of
interviews of one-year performance of the incumbent government in state
newspapers saying that every ministry reviewed their performances and
communications with the media in the on-year period so that they can express
their views on politics, commerce and economy as well as confer new year wishes
at the same time. This procedure has nothing to do with policies but is just a
normal procedure for the ministry to receive outside feedback on the
government’s performance while showcasing prominent figures.
Director-General
U Myint Htwe of MRTV replied to a question on granting five private companies
as content providers saying that the companies were chosen
after careful, transparent evaluation on financial stability, legal liability,
and ability to follow current and future policies implemented. Only five
channels were available for grant and the selection was based on fair, unbiased
judgment.
Dr. Pe Myint
replied to a question asking on the National Literature Award saying there are
many varieties under National Literature Award and each sector had a
subcommittee formed for its evaluation, comprised of wellknown literary figures
as committee members while working under the rules and
regulations of the appointed groups. The Union Minister also replied to a
question asking about the code of ethics of news and media personnel saying it
is the responsibility of the people working in the media business to uphold
their code of ethics.
The Ministry of
Information collaborates with concerned organisations as it is the ministry’s
duty to promote development of the media. Although the media business has
improved in the past 4-5 years there are still areas of weaknesses and to
improve the code of ethics it is essential for everybody to work together,
stating the Ministry of Information is always ready to extend a helping hand.
With regard to
the question about media access to the Rakhine State, the Union Minister
replied that the ministry is trying its best to assist in reporting news in
Rakhine State and majority of the news about the Rakhine State covered by the
foreign media are one-sided news based on unreliable sources.
The report
issued by International Crisis Group (ICG) highlights the problems in Northern
Rakhine State by interviewing the locals and using the interpreters capable of
speaking and understanding local language, he added. The journalists residing
in Rakhine
State will understand the root-cause of the conflict at that time and the local
correspondents failed to report the real situation and the root-cause of the
conflict they faced in Maungtaw District while international media were
broadcasting the false and unreliable news, he said.
The print media
are struggling to survive in the age of technology in the world and the plan to
launch the digital newspaper will be in accord with technological advancement
as online media industry is booming in the world. He underlined that the move
is intended to disseminate information on the latest developments and
undertakings being carried out the incumbent government for the people and the
readers at home and abroad in a rapid manner on real time and to implement the
goals of the ministry.
Ministry of
Industry
Regarding the
question on the status of anesthetics production in BPI pharmaceuticals,
Permanent Secretary U Ko Ko Lwin of the Ministry for Industry replied
anesthetics for cancer patients include the production of morphine and codeine
with morphine imported and around 6,500 grams of raw drugs for codeine will be
supplied by the Ministry of Home Affairs as agreed upon. The latest technology
is being used in the production for the two drugs and will be sold locally at
an affordable price. Meanwhile, production of Tenofovir (300 mg), used in
treating HIV/AIDS and Hepatits B, is being tested in Yangon Pharmaceuticals
Factory using technology from India and is in the process of getting an FDA license
for commercial distribution. BPI focuses on high quality, safety and
effectiveness in its pharmaceutical productions.
The production
status of glass tables incorporating Burmese lacquer ware, kanote drawings and
traditional carvings designed by the State Counsellor and is mass-produced in
the Kyaukse Glass Factory with the objective of acquiring a market space for
Burmese traditional arts while also using high quality glass. In the six months
since production 20 tables have been sold with prices ranging from Ks1 Lakh to
Ks2 Lakh depending on the designs. Further production will be carried out
according to market demand.
Ref; The Global
New Light of Myanmar
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