May 4, 2017
Office of the
Auditor-General, Union Civil Service Selection Board and Office of the Union
Attorney-General held a joint press conference in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday,
clarifying the achievement of the three governmental institutions in the first
one-year period.
Following it, U Saw Valentine clarified reforms of the CSSB and its achievements including opening of the Civil Service Academy and post-graduate diploma courses and amending of the civil service law and its rules.
Daw Nu Nu Yin, Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Union Attorney-General, clarified visions of the office and works, legal advising, its efforts for fighting corruption in the institution and cooperation with international organizations.
Altered strategy
to inspect state expenditure for 2016-2017 FY
At the press
conference for state expenditure inspections, Auditor-General U Maw Than said
inspection works in terms of Lima Declaration and Mexico Declaration, Financial
Audit, Compliance audit, and Performance audit (Value for Money Audit) have
been practiced for the financial inspection and will be conducted independently
for rationalization. Professional ethics such as integrity, competence,
diligence, confidentiality and public interest were practiced for the
inspection.
The three prioritized polices were the improvement of public finance management, international standard of financial report on state owned sector and private owned sector, and updating the accounting system.
As for the changes, the amendment of the Law on Accounting and Auditing and Myanmar Accountancy Council Law, the abolishing of the Public Accountants Default Act, the practicing of international standard of accounting in the private sector, transforming to accrual basis from cash basis system, extending access to CPA in which CPA course was allowed for outstanding students from B.Com, B.Act, BBA, Diploma In Account and even graduates by entrance exam system, to study.
The CPA holders of Myanmar citizen graduating from oversea was allowed for registration as CPA. MICPA is identified as a primary member in ASEAN Federation of Accountants( AFA). For that matter, Myanmar Accountancy Council has acted as Professional Regulatory Authority and National Accountancy Body. Today, according to the act of Myanmar Accountancy Council Law and AFA, MICPA was recognized as a Primary Member of AFA, after it was submitted to the Union Government.
With cooperation with associations under the agreement of Memorandum of Understanding, The Audit General office has worked together with the Office of Auditor General of Norway for a five year term, and with World Bank, Asia Development Bank and European Union.
Under the capacity building courses for the civil servants, the Auditor General Office conducted CPA course, Diploma in Accounting, skill trainings for internal, basic, intermediate and advanced training courses for accounting and office work, training courses from other ministries, management course, leadership courses and other courses.
Moreover, the Auditor General also attended the XXII INCOSAI Conference 2016 in United Arab Emirate, IPSAS workshop in South Africa and studied capital market and management in Japan. The Auditor General said the effort such as Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness and inspections on financial accounts, rule and regulation obedience were carried out by 5,202 staff from 386 audit offices.
With regards to the question for anti-corruption, Auditor General U Maw Than said that an auditor’s attitude and morality is a major factor among the ethics, so it is necessary to be fair and clear. Corruption does not only mean taking money but includes the action of giving favors to someone. He has been admonishing those staff who committed corruption by encouraging them to work for the interest of the country.
For the question of counter inspection on financial matters, he said that eight audit teams were assigned to inspect all the Union Ministries. An audit team was assigned for four years in turn to inspect in the private sector. Therefore, the assigned audit teams to inspect the ministries are now arranging to turn back to the private sector.
The Auditor General office also submitted the financial analysis report related to expenditures of the Union Ministries for their five years term to the Union Government. It also presented the results of the inspection for the 2015-2016 financial year. According to the report, the inspected ministers’ objectives and activities were excellent and attained success. “In that matters, if it is necessary to recheck, we will check in accordance with the instruction of Union Government,” said U Maw Than.
The financial inspection for 2015-2016 FY was not taken with broad action and it has therefore been changed the inspection strategy for the 2016-2017 FY. In terms of strategy, a broader inspection will be undertaken for all sectors. As for the Auditor General Office, they are mainly inspecting the expenditure of state budget, said the Auditor General.
UCSB clarifies
its one year performance and answer to media
At the press
conference held yesterday on government’s one-year performance, Union Civil
Services Board (UCSB) member U Saw Valentine said the aim of UCSB is to select
a person with the spirit to serve and fulfill the requirement of the people and
to train and develop him/her into a public servant who can provide a better
service delivery.
He said the teaching subjects were changed in the Central Institute of Civil Services (CICS) and out of the six subjects taught previously, military training was no longer provided and English and IT (information and technology) were added to the remaining five faculties – management, economy, political science, social science and law bringing the total faculties up to seven.
An epoch-making pillar was set in the history of UCSB on 2 January 2017 by the simultaneous opening of Civil Services Academy (CSA) in CICS (Lower Myanmar) and CICS (Upper Myanmar).
Post-Graduate Diploma in Civil Service Management (PGDCSM) courses were opened on 2 January 2017. Post-graduate diploma course for newly selected gazette officers, advance diploma course for mid-level deputy directors and assistant directors and master degree courses for high ranking officials of directors and deputy director-general will be provided and arrangements are made to provide advanced diploma and master degree courses in 2018 June.
According to article 105(a) of the Constitution of Myanmar, amendment to 20 articles of the Civil Service Law was signed by the Union President and enacted under the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw law no. 42/2016 on 9 December 2016. The amendment of law results in access to promotion depending upon qualifications and capacities of staff, save earned leave up to 2 months resulting in having more opportunities to perform needs of their families concerning education, health, economy and social affairs, a male serviceman whose wife is not a service person is eligible for having 2-weeks infant care leaves.
Regional allowances entitled regions were redefined according to the budget and all ministries and departments were following it in setting the allowance.
Assessing and training guidelines for promotion were defined by UCSB notice 3/2017 dated 10 January 2017 and distributed to ministerial departments, state and region government offices.
On promoting deputy directors and directors of the union ministries and departments up to 6 September 2016, UCSB promoted 5554 deputy and 2453directors from 32 ministries, departments, 14 states and regions. 157 deputies directors were promoted to directors in 13 ministries and departments. 34 directors were promoted to deputy director generals in 11 ministries and departments. 6 special promotions were made in 3 ministries and departments.
On new gazette officers, 2066 for Ministry of Health and Sports, 112 for 4 ministries including Ministry of Planning and Finance, 50 for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 258 for 13 ministries including Ministry of Religious Affairs & Culture totaling 2486 were selected.
Contacts and cooperation were made with international organizations in order to train the public servants on an education and competency training instead of a semi-regimental training, reform the public service system, change the curriculum and syllabus in the CICS to be in line with international level.
Afterward UCSB member U Saw Valentine answered to the media questions on the UCSB one-year performance.
During the new government, there was only a very few case of military personnel transferred to departmental positions in the departmental transfers. However, due to the requirement of the respective ministries, if there is a request, arrangements are made for qualified military personnel who meet the requirements to be transferred according to rules, regulations and the decision of the union government.
On the question of 22 transfer cases from Ministry of Defence to other departments, Director General U Kyaw Soe said this was arranged by the previous government and carried out by UCSB. The transferred personnel hold the ranks of captain and major and were made to provide moral support to them as well as to support their families.
Ministry does not set the position for transfer and were assigned post by coordinating with the union government office.
U Saw Valentine said a survey was conducted among civil servants in cooperation with international organizations to assess the people’s trust on the civil servants.
A survey will also be conducted on about 2000 families in order to assess the view of the people on the civil servants.
On the matter of pension in transfers, civil servants are permitted to get pension from the former department in some cases and in some cases the service from the former department were added on to the service in the new department and pension from the new department was given.
There is no plan to open a CICS in Nay Pyi Taw Council. A training school is planned for permanent secretary and director general level where 200 trainees can attend.
There are more than 900,000 civil servants in the whole country and military training is no longer given in the CICS.
Press Conference
on Performances of the Office of Union Attorney General
“Aims and
objectives of Office of the Union Attorney General and legal offices at
different levels are to protect by law for rule of law, to make a respectable
society emerge, by protecting rights, privileges and responsibilities of every
individual according to law, based on justice, good governance and reputation
for the emergence modernized, developed and democratic nation, and to become
the best ideal in the region,” said, Daw Nu Nu Yin, permanent secretary at the
press conference held on May 4.
She added, “As regards the performances of the department of scrutiny of law, it scrutinized and suggested 122 bills and 158 rules and regulations, orders, notifications, instructions and procedure (bill) sent by Ministries, with 88 laws translated from Myanmar into English. In one-year period, 574 cases on international law and ASEAN affair, 745 economic documents contracted between governmental departments, private companies from home and abroad and 291 suggestions on general law were dealt with.
Moreover, concerning criminal cases, legal advices were given prior to filing a suit and in some cases, it pleaded for the State. In civil cases in which governmental organizations get involved as complainants, legal advices were given. In cases applying for formal diplomatic notes at the Union Supreme Court, it pleaded on behalf of the State, and it worked for the State in tribunal on Constitution. In suing and pleading for criminal cases, summonses were made for major witnesses to appear before court so as not to delay. In consultation with respective courts of justice and judiciary organizations, arrangements were made not to delay cases without necessity.
“To develop rule of law, justice and openness, Union Attorney General Office has drawn a strategic plan (2015-2019), signing MoUs with JICA, KOICA, IDLO and MLAW Singapore for getting techniques from abroad and cooperating with UNDP & USAID. In the tenure when the incumbent government it signed with MoU with Denmark embassy on human rights and rules of law. To be well convinced of the facts needed to become competent legal officers, trainings were conducted after making researches, and in cooperation with USAID, Case Management was conducted for setting up pilot law office. Report on the completion of first prioritized project of the Office of Union Attorney General had been compiled and its publication is now underway.”
Afterward, Daw Nu Nu Yin and responsible officials replied to the questions raised by media men, regarding the performances of the Office of the Union Attorney General.
Concerning the law protecting women from being forced into sex slaves (bill), Dr Swe Swe Aung, director general replied, “Ministry of Social Welfare, Rescue and Resettlement has sent the bill to the Office of Union Attorney General for two times. In accord with rules and regulations, UAG Office had given their suggestions to the ministry. In drawing the bill, the Ministry did it according to the international standards, but it was found that the bill included some facts incompatible with Myanmar’s traditions and culture.
As for our department, we suggested to the ministry about these differences. The Ministry had already known that the bill would be submitted to the Hluttaw for discussion.”
As communication act section 66/d, Daw Nu Nu Yin, replied that it has been sent to the Office of Union Attorney General for revision. And, as regards the straightforwardness of the judicial panel, it was replied that instructions have been issued at the legal offices to be free from bribery and corruption. Code of practice for legal officers to abide by compiled in accord with international standards would be published and given out.”
Ref; The Global
New Light of Myanmar
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