Second Amyotha Hluttaw’s 9th regular session holds sixth-day meeting

The second Amyotha Hluttaw’s ninth regular session held its sixth-day meeting at the Amyotha Hluttaw meeting hall yesterday morning. At the meeting, asterisk-marked questions were answered, a report read, a bill approved and a motion submitted.

Plan to control unethical liquor advertisements

Dr. U Kywe Kywe of Mandalay Region constituency 6 posed the first asterisk-marked question on plans to control unethical liquor advertisements. Deputy Minister for Information U Aung Hla Tun answered that the Ministry of Information is following the rules of the advertisement policy in accepting and making advertisements.

State-owned and joint venture print, broadcast and digital media were also found to be adhering strictly to the announced advertisement policy. If any requirements or shortcomings are found, warnings and notices will be made in accordance with the rules and regulations.

State-owned media and public media need to strictly follow the news media ethics on advertisements laid down by the Myanmar Press Council.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Home Affairs had also set up a policy to reduce consumption of liquors and beer and is following this policy in granting production license to companies producing liquors and beer, said the Deputy Minister.

Ministries and authorities concerned need to take effective action against anyone not following the set rules and regulations, said the Deputy Minister.

Investment in Rakhine State’s agro sector

U Khin Maung Latt of Rakhine State constituency 3 then asked the investment in agricultural sector in Rakhine State from international aid, assistance and loan from international organisations like UNDP, Japan’s ODA, World Bank, ADB, JFAD, AFD and EXIM Bank since 2011 to date and plans to increase the investment.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Hla Kyaw said there are limitations in the norms and practices of international organisations to invest in Rakhine State’s agriculture sector, and thus, there is no investment yet. Once those limitations are overcome, investment from aid, assistance and loans to Rakhine State agriculture sector will be implemented. Meanwhile, the government is implementing investment in Rakhine State’s agriculture sector from its own fund, said the Deputy Minister.

Furthermore, a work program to open agriculture and livestock vocational training school, with the support of the Republic of Korea, is being discussed to be implemented.

For development of agriculture cooperatives in Rakhine State, loans from China’s EXIM Bank is being used to provide small investment loans and as of end of June 2018, 40,603 cooperative members were given a loan totaling Ks 5,565 million. The Ministry of Planning and Finance is also providing long- and short-term loans to agri-based businesses through Two Step Loan system from Japan’s JICA, said the Deputy Minister.

Report read and motion tabled on Bill amending the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law (2017)

Next, Amyotha Hluttaw Bill Committee member U Lal Min Htan read and explained the report of the bill committee on the bill amending the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law (2017).

Afterwards, Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than sought the decision of the Hluttaw and approved the bill amending the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law (2017), sent with amendments by Pyithu Hluttaw as amended by Amyotha Hluttaw Bill Committee.

Later U Lal Min Htan of Chin State constituency 10 tabled a motion to discuss and decide the bill disagreed by the Amyotha Hluttaw and the Pyithu Hluttaw.

Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker then announced the Hluttaw’s decision to submit the disagreement of the two Hluttaws on the bill to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.

By Aung Ye Thwin (MNA)

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar