Efforts should be made for ensuring peace and stability based on political and security measures: Senior General

 

ONLY when the country is peaceful and stable, can the election be held smoothly, said Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the meeting 1/2021 of the Provisional Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar at the Office of the Chairman of the State Administration Council in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.

In his opening speech, the Senior General said the Provisional Government was constituted on 1 August, and he took the responsibilities of Prime Minister as the Head of Government. All cabinet members need to collectively carry out development tasks of the State. A government is responsible for undertaking improvement of the country. The Senior General stressed that they are not a political government with party policies but implement the fivepoint road map and nine objectives as policies adopted by the State Administration Council for the nation. It is necessary to secure achievement in implementing these policies. The tenure of the current government is a short time. He has explained it in the address delivered to mark the six months period of the government duty. The legal permission for incompletion of the tasks within the state of emergency period is mentioned in the chapter of the provision of the State of Emergency. Depending on management of the government and good cooperation of the people, the period for carrying out the tasks can be changed. Although the government takes responsibility for a short period, it is necessary to manage food, clothing and shelters of the people without fail. Likewise, efforts should be made for ensuring political peace and stability as well as security peace and stability Only when the country is peaceful and stable, can the election be held smoothly.

The Senior General stressed the need to continuously fulfill the needs of respective regions in undertaking regional development tasks in addition to the basic needs of the people. The democratization process has been implemented since 2011 for the country to walk along the multiparty democracy route. In the time of President U Thein Sein, necessities were undertaken in accord with the Constitution (2008) and the government elected in 2016 implemented the reform processes as much as it can. There remain to fulfill the needs in implementing the multiparty democracy. In reviewing the various situations which happened in last six months period, a lesson was obtained for carrying out many tasks related to democracy. Records and documents showed that although the people demanded to implement democracy in 1988, there were a few number of persons who deeply understood the measures of democracy. Hence, it is necessary to realize the democracy in conformity with the current situations of Myanmar.

There are some 55 million of population in the country, most of who believe in Buddhism. Hence, there are many Myanmar’s national characteristics under the advice of Buddhism. Hence, it is necessary to consider the national characteristics in building a country. Myanmar is home to some 135 ethnic nationals. All the people and ethnic nationals accept the multiparty democracy system. They wish to enjoy the fruits of development, unity and prosperity. Myanmar with proper climatic conditions is teeming with Ayeyawady, Chindwin, Thanlwin, Sittoung, Laymyo and Kaladan rivers and others streaming from the north to the south. Based on these rivers, the country is operating agriculture and livestock breeding tasks and other businesses.

With regard to increasing number of educated persons, Myanmar has been striving for turning out many numbers of educated persons while reducing the poverty rate. Due to political conditions and outbreak of COVID-19, the country is struggling in downtrend of economy. So, some people went abroad to seek jobs in foreign countries because of shortage of job opportunities at home. Since 1948 when the country regained her independence, the armed conflicts of ethnics have been long-lasting for some 75 years. Due to immigration problems related to some neighbouring countries, citizenship problems came out. It was scrutinized that there are some four million of citizens who do not have citizenship scrutiny cards after turning 18. These are actual situations of Myanmar. Depending on these facts, the government needs to consider how to develop the country.

It is necessary to encourage the education sector for ensuring the citizens to have skills and knowledge. Relevant ministries are to cooperate with each other in improvement of education qualification of the people from regions and states. All regions and states need to set aims for the people to complete basic middle school education through the literacy campaigns.

Efforts must be made to increase number of agriculturists and breeders under the proper plans similar to economists, legal experts, technologists, engineers, medical doctors and nurses. Region and state chief ministers need to turn out the educated persons. Ensuring plentiful of educated persons is the first priority of current government.

The Senior General stressed the need to create chances for individual people to have income and generate jobs for them at home. If the regions manage the increase of per-acre yield of crops for food sufficiency, it will contribute to regional development. Job opportunities can be created from establishment of factories based on agriculture and livestock breeding tasks. Priority must be given to cultivation of paddy and wheat in the food insufficient areas.

Myanmar faces trade and budget deficits. Hence, it is necessary to reduce import volumes while increasing the volume of domestic products. With regard to cooking oil, more than 391,000 acres of oil palm plantations were allowed in Myeik and Kawthoung districts in Taninthayi Region. If the plants can be grown on the lands, it can yield 450,000 tons of oil per year. Hence, businesspersons were urged to produce edible oil crops to become the Taninthayi Region as an oil pot so as to reduce import of palm oil. The government will encourage legal export of goods to earn foreign exchange.

Regarding cotton cultivation, Myanmar imports textile worth US$100 million per year. Cotton plants should be grown for operating cotton ginning factories at home. As Sagaing, Magway and Mandalay regions have more than 400,000 acres of cotton plantations, their peracre yield is down. Efforts must be beefed up for increasing peracre yield of cotton plantations. The Senior General stressed the need to reduce import of cements. If cement plants at home operate production at full capacity, they can meet the local demand, reducing the spending of foreign exchange.

The government will provide necessary assistance for operating of cement plants at full capacity while relevant organizations need to control the quality of products.

The country requires a large volume of steel wears per year. So, foreign exchange is spent on import of steel wears. So, efforts are being made to resume Pinpet steel plant and Myingyan steel plant. It is necessary to upgrade the techniques of suspended plants for manufacturing of quality products in full swing.

Arrangements will be made to operate the State-owned factories through public-private partnership system while improving the private sector by creating the chances for them. On one hand, it is necessary to encourage the SME industries of ethnic nationals. Such efforts will contribute to surging the State economy so as to shape the good image of the country.

The government is encouraging the generating of hydropower and solar energy for realizing the renewable energy in the electric sector. Efforts will be made to efficiently utilize the water sources of the nation. It is necessary to consider how to utilize the main rivers of the countries to benefit the country and the people. These rivers and creeks should be utilized as generating electricity as well as fishery sector. Natural gas and coal are to be used for benefiting the State.

The government is striving for narrowing the development gap between regions and states, districts and townships as much as it can. Especially, it makes efforts for improvement of living standard of the people from rural areas. Manufacturing is based on rural areas. As such, efforts to increase income of rural people will be prevailing rule of law and ensure peace and stability of the country based on political and security measures.

The Senior General also stressed the need to improve the sports sector and build gymnasiums and stadiums in regions and states. Moreover, the officials were urged to issue citizenship scrutiny cards and household registrations to all ethnic people and those deserved to be citizens.

The Union Minister sought the approvals for their reports in respective sectors.

Next, the Senior General said that the income of the government obtained from levying the tax was lesser because of COVID-19 impacts. So, ministries need to scrutinize the spending of budget as well as to systematically consume drinking water and electricity.

Last year’s drought caused shortages of drinking water in the country. This year’s rainfalls can remove such worries of water scarcity. However, it is necessary to take preventive measures of damage and overflow of water from the dams.

Currently, infection rate of COVID-19 declined to lesser 30 per cent. But, efforts must be made to further decline the infection rate. Local people should be supervised to follow the orders, directives, rules and regulations for prevention and containment of the disease. Moreover, health awareness must be raised for the people to know the health guidelines for COVID-19.

Experts reviewed that COVID-19 would not totally disappear. Hence, people need to abide by the prescribed rules and disciplines for prevention of COVID-19. Arrangements are being made to produce preventive medicines and treatment medicines for COVID-19 pandemic at home. Currently, two variant viruses were found in some countries. As such, all need to take care of COVID-19 infection. Officials need to arrange smooth flow of medicines to the people. And, the guidance has been given to take action against those who keep the vaccines, medicines and related equipment in hand for the people to face difficulties with selfishness.

MNA

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