Performance of Bago Region Government in 2nd Year in Office

BAGO Region Government has carried out to achieve all-round development in all socio-economic sectors of the people. In order to make sustainable development, plans are under way to support and encourage the small and medium scale enterprises, the development of health and education sectors, and conservation of natural environment.

Opening Wholesales Centre in Bago
A wholesale centre for crops has opened in Bago Region where a variety of pulses and crops are sold for the convenience of the local people.
Formerly the rice which was grown in Bago Region used to trade foreign markets through the Yangon Region. After opening the wholesale centre, the coal businessmen received more orders from foreign countries.

Bago is in need of many wholesale centres for rice and agricultural commodities, as they can serve as the marketplace for farmers and traders.
Through wholesale centres, market information will be known more widely and will reduce the risk of speculation and volatility. The Myanmar Rice Federation is also supporting the establishment of rice wholesale centres in order to improve the standards and specification, as well as the adoption of proper contractual engagement between sellers and buyers. According to the data, there are over
650,000 acres of rice cultivation in Bago Region and local farmers grow Export-25 mark rice in the summer and in the rainy season.

Regional development

During the period of two year, the Bago Region government has made an effort to improve the transportation systems in the region. All the roads constructed by the Road Department under the Ministry of Construction are tarred roads. Roads in towns are now in the process of covering Asphalt Concrete. According to the data, there were 27 miles and 3 furlongs of concrete roads, 103 miles and 2 furlong of tarred roads, and 268 miles and 4 S of rural roads, 595 concrete bridges, 41 wooden bridges, 54 arch bridges and 505 rooms for housing project in the Bago Region.

As for the Bago Region Government, concerted efforts have been made to carry out the works for both local and foreign investors to be able to start their operation at the industrial zones of Bago and Pyay Districts with a view to increasing more job opportunities.

The Bago Region Government is now striving to put the budget spending system up to the international norms and to bring about the collective effort of government and community for the development of health and education sectors in cooperation with World Bank, UNDP and UKAID.

Power Supply

In the power supply section, the Bago Region has implemented 236 tasks with the aim of meeting electricity demand and upgrading the cables and installation of new cables under the electrification plan for the whole region.

Health Sector

Plans are underway to extend one more traditional hospitals in Yedashe Township, Bago Region. Currently, there is a 50-bedded traditional medicine hospitals in Bago.
Many people who rely on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare need have significantly increased. This is the main reason for extension of traditional medicine hospitals and health departments. Traditional medical practitioners have urged the people to receive treatment at the traditional medicine hospitals and clinics and take medicines after checking the registration and expiry dates of traditional medicines.

Assisting development in Rakhine

The Bago Region government has coordinate in all sectors with human, financial, moral and technical resources for Rakhine State, regional development works and for reconstruction of damages and losses caused by terrorist attacks.

Efforts had been made to construct 64 village houses in the southern Rakhine State and to take the responsibility to build these houses.

With the aim of providing assistance to ethnic nationals who were facing difficulties in all sectors starting with human, financial, moral and technical resources in region. The construction of houses and schools needs to be completed before the rain comes.

Once the livelihood matters are re-established, these necessay assitances will be provided for agriculture, livestock breeding and fishery sector development as required by the Rakhine State.

Citizen’s Budget

The Bago Region Government revenues have increased more than 150 per cent since 2013 while the grant transfer from the Union Government to the region has grown more than 290 per cent in the same period, according to the Citizen’s Budget released by the Bago Regional Government.

Fishery and property taxes make up for 83 per cent of the regional tax revenue in this fiscal year. Citizen’s Budgets communicate budget information to the general public with the aim of increasing budget transparency and encouraging civic engagement with the budget process.

The Citizen’s Budget is a step forward to increase transparency as well as accountability, and to encourage civic participation in public financial management. Government budgets, particularly at the sub-national level, are central to social and economic development, and in order to be effective, it requires strong public financial management. The budget will help create a cycle in which the government provides services based on the needs and inputs of the constituents. Therefore the resulting alignment between public resources and public needs can be contributed to the greater growth and development of the Bago Region.

Revenues

The Bago Regional Government has K158,057 million to spend for the fiscal year 2017-18, K158,057 million (81 per cent) of which comes from fiscal transfer allocated by the union government.

The budget reveals that the region’s taxes come primarily from seven sources collected by four departments. Excise tax, land tax, embankment tax and tax on mineral extraction are collected by the General Administration Department (GAD) and make up about 52 per cent of the tax collection.

Excise tax, in particular, is responsible for 44 per cent of the regional taxes. Other taxes include fishery tax and forestry product tax.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES)

It is of great importance to educate the local people [SMEs] in financial management to know where the wastage is. And in financing sector, they need to know a business plan as well as a sustainable plan. Some SMEs are operating without any business plan and target. Only if they have such plans and targets will their enterprises develop. Efforts should be made to promote business structure, accounting, taxation, market management, human resource management and capital management.

As SMEs are major contributors to Myanmar’s economy and job creation in Bago, it is of great paramount importance to meet challenges, create business opportunities, upgrade technology and settle financing issues.

(Translated by Win Ko Ko Aung)