In
yesterday’s fifth-day meeting of the SecondPyidaungsuHluttaw’sninth regular
session, AmyothaHluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than handed over the
responsibilities of the PyidaungsuHluttaw Speaker to Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U T
Khun Myat.
Attending
the assembly were President U Win Myint, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,
Vice Presidents U Myint Swe and U Henry Van Thio, Chief Justice of the Union U
Htun Htun Oo, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung
Hlaing, Chairperson of the Constitutional Tribunal U Myo Nyunt, Chairperson of
the Union Election Commission U Hla Thein, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence
Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Pyithu Hluttaw
Deputy Speaker U Tun Tun Hein, Amyotha Hluttaw Deputy Speaker U Aye Tha Aung,
Chairman of Pyidaungsu Hluttaw’s Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment
Commission Thura U ShweMann, Union Ministers, Union Attorney General, Union
Auditor General, Chairman of the Union Civil Service Board, Nay Pyi Taw Council
Chairperson, Governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar, Chairperson of the
Anti-Corruption Commission, Chairperson of the National Human Rights
Commission, state and regional Hluttaw speakers, Deputy Ministers, and
observers.
Outgoing
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than’s speech
First,
PyidaungsuHluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than delivered a speech concerning
his term as Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker for the first thirty months of the
Hluttaw term.
In
his speech, Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than elaborated on his performance for the
first half of the Hluttaw term, saying thatthe first-day meeting of the 1st
regular session of the 2nd Pyithu Hluttaw was held on Monday 1 February 2016.
In line with Section 76 Sub-section (A) of the Constitution, the Speaker and
Deputy Speaker of the Amyotha Hluttaw have served as the Speaker and Deputy
Speaker of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw from the day the term of the PyithuHluttaw
commences up to the day of the end of 30 months, and the Speaker and Deputy
Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw will serve as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of
the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw for the remaining term, which is why today’s meeting
will include the handing over of the responsibilities of the PyidaungsuHluttaw
Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
He
said during his term as Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker, he endeavored for the
strengthening of the multi-party democratic system, enhancing opportunities in
the country, promoting every citizen’s equality, freedom, fairness, and human
rights free from corruption, and to the best of his ability, providing checks
and balances to the executive and judicial branches of the government for
rebuilding national peace, unity and development.
He
expressed his gratitude to the Deputy Speaker for assuming the roles of
Chairperson for the Joint Bill Committee, Public Accounts Joint Committee, and
Joint Hluttaw Management Committee, and as the Secretary of the Myanmar
Parliamentary Union and leading the duties of each respective sector and
enabling better fundamentals.
He
said eight regular sessions were successfully held during the first 30 months
of the Second Pyidaungsu Hluttaw term, with the ninth regular session in
progress. Relating to lawmaking, during the first half of the Hluttaw term, 44
bills were discussed and enacted into law in 2016, 29 in 2017 and 22 in 2018,
as of this date, totaling 95 enacted laws, said the Speaker. To aid in the
development operations of various sectors, 40 cases of foreign and domestic
loans were discussed, 26 cases of MoU signing were discussed for international
cooperation, in addition to discussions relating to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.
Special
regional relations performed in the first half of the Hluttaw term include
hosting the 37th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, forming the ASEAN
Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Cooperation Committee to collaborate with international organizations and
international parliaments, and attending 21 meetings related to the ASEAN
Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and 2 meetings related to the Inter-Parliamentary
Union.
The
Myanmar Parliamentary Union was formed to promote discussions between the
Union-level Hluttaws and state/regional Hluttaws, and between state and
regional Hluttaws, said the Speaker. He added that the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw’s
Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission was formed to scrutinize,
amend, abolish existing laws and enact new laws, scrutinizing special cases
from a legal perspective, and support important Hluttaw processes.
The
Speaker said the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw is formed with representatives from the
entire nation and represents all the people living in the country, while
conducting legislative work for the country and its citizens, in addition to
assuming the Hluttaw’s responsibilities.
He
said at the present time it is focusing on ethnic solidarity and national
reconciliation for a long-lasting union peace. He instructed the Hluttaw
representatives to work for the peace and rule of law starting from their
constituencies up to the national-level.
The
Speaker requested the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw representatives to use their
accumulated experiences and knowledge to carry out the hopes and wishes of the
people in the remaining 30 months of the Hluttaw term. He thanked the Hluttaw
representatives and officials from respective sectors, departments, and
organizations who have worked together with him in the first 30 months of the
Hluttaw term.
Next,
Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than handed over the responsibilities
of thePyidaungsuHluttaw Speaker to Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U T KhunMyat.
Incoming
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker
U
T Khun Myat’s speech
Pyidaungsu
Hluttaw Speaker U T Khun Myat then delivered a speech.
Incoming
PyidaungsuHluttaw Speaker U T Khun Myat expressed his gratitude to Amyotha
Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than and Deputy Speaker U Aye Tha Aung for
successfully fulfilling the responsibilities of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker
and Deputy Speaker, respectively, for the first 30 months of the Hluttaw term.
He
said the PyidaungsuHluttaw will honor and put on record the endeavors of the
Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker and Deputy Speaker based on the Constitution, Hluttaw
laws and bylaws, and the national policies and agenda for the emergence of a
democratic federal union together with Hluttaw representatives, using their
skills in difficult undertakings in different sectors during the 30 months of
the first half of the Hluttaw term.
The
Speaker said he has heard that parliaments around the world are the bedrocks of
a country’s democracy as well as their spirit and blood vessels. Parliaments
exercise legislative power and represent the people while listening to the
people’s voices, wishes, opinions and needs and working to fulfill them.
He
said carrying out these duties and the emergence of laws that have relevance on
the actual development of the people’s socio-economy, national development, and
ensuring the basic socio-economy of the people is beneficial require the checks
and balances and cooperation with the entities and organizations who wield
executive and judicial authority.
It
is evident that we are all cooperating in the Third Session of the Union Peace
Conference – 21st Century Panglong for the emergence of a democratic federal
union, said the Speaker. He said for the Hluttaw representatives to fully
participate in the discussions with constructive intentions, ethnic
representatives from various political parties have been included in the
preliminary formation.
He
said the legislative Hluttaw enacts laws that protects and enables the benefit
of the nation and the people while implementing them in accordance with the
existing laws, bylaws, rules and regulations of the executive and judicial
branches and other related organizations, and cooperating with them for the
nation and people’s benefit. Hluttaw representatives and every citizen have to
respect and follow existing laws to be accountable, responsible and disciplined
in cooperation.
The
Speaker said the three branches of the government being the executive,
legislative and judicial branches have been equally divided as per the
Constitution, providing checks and balances to each other and working for the
continued discussions and cooperation for national development.
People
wish to see immediate results in the democratic transition but should note that
the basis of democracy sometimes requires a period of time for a solution to
emerge, said the Speaker. He added that a true democratic system is the only
system that can handle the challenges of the 21st Century.
The
Speaker said he believes the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw representatives will have
sincere compassion for the people, foresight and systematic individual
accountability in the democratic transition process. As experience and maturity
is accumulated with each successive meeting, Hluttaw representatives will
increase their performance by continued adherence to the Constitution, Hluttaw
laws, bylaws and existing laws, rules and regulations.
The
Speaker requested the Hluttaw representatives to cooperate with him in the
remaining half of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw term, as all work together for the
benefit of the nation and the people, without any bias regarding one’s
political party, ethnicity, region, language, culture or beliefs. He said he
believes that by upholding responsibility and accountability with sincerity and
kindness, more improvements will be made in the process for the emergence of a
democratic federal union.
Pyidaungsu
Hluttaw Speaker U T Khun Myat then announced the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw has put on
record the successful term of Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker and Deputy Speaker
served by Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than and Deputy Speaker U Aye
Tha Aung.
This
was followed by U Kyaw Kyaw Maung, Governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar,
taking the oath of office in front of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker.
Soft
loan from Italy
Union
Minister Dr. Aung Thu and Deputy Minister U Maung Maung Win explained to the
Hluttaw the matter sent from the Office of the President concerning the soft
loan of Euro 30 million from Italy for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock
and Irrigation’s projects.
Union
Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Dr. Aung Thu said the
Italian government offered co-financing a soft loan of Euro 30 million for the
National Electrification Project. He said the soft loan is offered with no
interest, a grace period of 18 years and an amortization period of 10 years.
The
soft loan will allow officials to provide electricity, in the form of solar
home systems and mini-grid systems, to the hard-to-reach Chin State and its
neighboring areas, with a projected outreach to 96,500 households in 1,015
villages, said the Union Minister. He said the Italian government intends to
help implement the pre-electrification system for villages that are out of
reach of the national power grid.
The
Union Minister said that when considering areas for implementing the solar home
system, the chosen criteria was for villages that will take 10-15 years to
connect to the national power grid, areas more than 10 miles away from the
grid, and villages that can put in 10 per cent of the payment for the solar
home system. Likewise, areas for implementing the mini-grid system were chosen
on whether they will take 10-15 years to connect to the national power grid,
villages that can put in 20 per cent of the payment for the mini-grid, villages
willing to pay electrical bills and villages wishing to conduct small-scale
businesses, among other considerations.
The
Union Minister said the Italian government will support a separate fund of
US$1.05 million to the World Bank for technological and technical assistance.
He requested the Hluttaw to approve the soft loan so as to realize the 2030
Myanmar National Electrification Plan (NEP).
Deputy
Minister for Planning and Finance U Maung Maung Win explained that the
Department of Rural Development, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock
and Irrigation, will lead the rural electrification project funded by the soft
loan and an annual payment of Ks 4,996.2 million from the national budget will
have to be made after the grace period was over. He said the national debt to
GDP ratio of Myanmar is 15.45 per cent, as of 31 March 2018, and therefore has
the capacity to withstand the debt.
The
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker then announced for MPs interested in discussing the
soft loan of Euro 30 million from the Italian government to register their
names.
Agricultural
loan from Asian Development Bank
Union
Minister Dr. Aung Thu and Deputy Minster U Maung Maung Win explained to the
Hluttaw the matter sent from the Office of the President concerning the loan of
US$40.5 million from the Asian Development Bank for the Ministry of
Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation’s project.
Union
Minister Dr. Aung Thu said the loan will be used to fund the Climate Friendly
Agribusiness Value Chains Sector Project for 5 townships in Magway Region, 4
townships in Mandalay Region, and 5 townships in Sagaing Region, totaling 14
townships in central Myamar.
The
amortization period for the loan is 32 years, including an 8-year grace period,
with 1 per cent interest during the grace period and 1.5 per cent in the
remaining period. Payments after the grace period will be made twice a year
(once each in March and September) over a period of 24 years, totaling 48
separate payments. The Union Minister requested the Hluttaw to approve the loan
from Asian Development Bank.
Deputy
Minister U Maung Maung Win explained the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and
Irrigation will lead the projects funded by the loan from the Asian Development
Bank. He said the project will allow the production of agricultural products
that meet the ISO 17025 standards, which will in turn aid in penetrating the
foreign market and increasing income. He said annual payments for the loan will
be calculated into the respective ministry’s budget plans. He said the national
debt to GDP ratio of Myanmar is 15.45 per cent, as of 31 March 2018, and
therefore has the capacity to withstand the debt.
The
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker then announced that MPs interested in discussing the
loan of US$40.5 million from Asian Development Bank should register their
names.
The
sixth-day meeting of the ninth regular session of the SecondPyidaungsuHluttaw
will continue on 7 August.
Thura
Zaw, Han Lin Naing
Ref;
The Global New Light of Myanmar
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