Chairman of State Administration Council Prime MinisterSenior General Min Aung Hlaing delivers address at meeting 1/2021 of Union government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Nay Pyi Taw September 27
The Union Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar held meeting 1/2021 of the Union government at the meeting hall of the Office of the State Administration Council Chairman, here, this afternoon, with an address by Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present at the meeting were Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister ViceSenior General Soe Win, Union Ministers General Mya Tun Oo, Lt-Gen Soe Htut, U Wunna Maung Lwin, Lt-Gen Yar Pyae, U Chit Naing, Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, U Win Shein, U Aung Naing Oo, U Ko Ko Hlaing, Dr Daw Thida Oo, U Maung Maung Ohn, U Ko Ko, U Hla Moe, Admiral Tin Aung San, U Khin Maung Yi, U Aung Than Oo, Dr Charlie Than, U Khin Yi, U Myint Kyaing, Dr Pwint Hsan, Dr Myo Thein Kyaw, Dr Thet Khaing Win, U Min Thein Zan, U Shwe Lay, Dr Daw Thet Thet Khaing, Dr Htay Aung and U Saw Tun Aung Myint.
First, the Senior General delivered an address, saying that they have been taking State responsibilities for about eight months with regard to the political changes. After taking the responsibilities, various kinds of changes happened.
This situation was triggered by forcefully unlawful acts to continuously seize the State power without legally solving the voting frauds in the 2020 multi-party democracy general election which caused crisis in the country. After declaring the State of Emergency, the situations have emerged for solving the problems under the law. Officials and participants in the voting frauds can face action under the law but the elected representatives can face the cancellation of representatives.
The general election is very important process for a democratic nation, and those persons attempted to secure the victory in the election by turning a blind eye to the election process. Those removed from the posts due to their acts inappropriate in the election made attempts to commit terror acts with solving the problems under the law. They chose the terrorism. The government desire the way of democracy and undertakings. The Tatmadaw emphasizes the desire of the people. But, they need to follow the disciplines. Although they can do anything in unison butif their acts are not in line with
the law, such acts cannot be done. All things must be done under the law.
Terror acts, setting fire for destruction, murdering and blowing up of mines are on the opposite acts of democracy.
The majority countries of the world are exercising the democracy, and it is necessary to take lessons from them. The government wishes to do anything under the law and disciplines.
The government wishes to urge the people to have the practices of democracy. The wish of majority cannot be implemented against the law. It is necessary to hand over the malpractice to themselves and new generations.
At present, speeches and acts of CRPH and NUG are leading to the terrorism. Likewise, EAOs related to them directly and indirectly participate in the terror acts. NUG and related organizations do not totally perform development tasks of the State and good things under the democracy but they urge all to commit the terror acts such as murdering and mine explosion for destroying the country. The government will not totally derail from the way of democracy and will protect it.
The data showed there are some 55 million population in the country. Different levels of administrative bodies from the ward to the State Administration Council have been formed with public service personnel who are carrying out the State tasks. They all take salaries of the State and they must be loyal to the State.
They all need to correctly do the tasks under the prescribed rules and regulations of the service personnel. The government releases the statements on attitudes in patient for the government service personnel who went outside the legal fold by committing the CDM activities for various reasons after 1 February. Likewise, government staff and State service personnel serving duties under the law must be loyal to the State under the rule of the administration of the government. Every democratic country allows public service personnel to cast votes under the political freedom.
It is necessary to complicate the politics and duty of service personnel.
With regard to the infection of COVID-19, Myanmar is facing the infection of the pandemic in the third wave which reached the highest rate in July but the infection rate is declining now. As the genetically change of COVID-19 is very rapid, it is necessary to continue preparations with farsightedness for the worst without carelessness.
At present, the stay-athome programme was lift for some townships but some necessary townships were inserted into the programme. Further medical tests are being continued for knowing the infection matters and the people need to abide by the prescribed SOP. The government is making efforts for declining of the infection rate to less than five per cent. Preparations must be made for forthcoming fourth wave. Hence, people need to abide by the quarantine rules for the disease individually.
Preparations are necessary at the hospitals and clinics as well. For oxygen supply, efforts have been made to exceed the production of the highest amount of oxygen in July. ICU wards must be prepared at the hospitals and necessary equipment must be collected. The relevant ministries are to try to domestically produce medicines for treatment and vaccines rather than make overseas purchases.
Constant efforts also should be made to produce vaccines and medicines based on Swertia Chirata, a traditional herb.
In the economic sector, export value was US$-11.892 billion and import value US$-12.260 billion in ten months from October 2020 to July 2021.
The total trade value is US$-21.153 billion and there was a trade deficit of about US$-368 million. When compared with 2019-2020 fiscal year, trade has declined by 22.38 percent. The deficit resulted from larger import of edible oil and cement and smaller export of fish, prawn and rice. The country imported over 768,000 tons of edible oil in 2017-2018, over 370,000 tons in the 2018 minibudget period, over 855,000 tons in 2018-2019, over 888,000 tons in 2019-2020 and about 790,000 tons till September 17 this year. Therefore, frugality is required regarding edible oil consumption.
In the effort for making a prosperous country, relevant ministries and administrative bodies need to work and cooperate in all seriousness for the well-being of farmers and producers. Encouragement and knowledge sharing are necessary for farmers. Domestic cement factories need to try to operate at full capacity to reduce import.
Efforts must be made to import rice produced from the country to earn foreign exchange.
Products must be in export quality. If the prices are the same, there must be better quality. If the quality is the same, products should be sold at cheaper prices. Rice, beans and pulses and maize are our major export items. Export of finished products will earn more foreign exchange. It is very important to boost production of export items.
As for domestic fuel consumption, the country has over 1,140,000 vehicles and over 6,450,000 motorcycles, according to figures available up to August this year. For them, tons and tons of fuels have to be imported. To reduce import,
measures must be taken to run more buses, circular trains and highway trains in the form of public transportation. Every individual must have a sense of responsibility to reduce fuel consumption. Government organizations also need to seek ways to do so. Goals must be set to use electric buses and cars. Some countries have already started using electric cars.
When it comes to electricity generation, our country has a lot of natural resources to produce hydropower, solar power and wind power, which renewable energy sources. Measures must be taken to tap those renewable energy sources without fail to cut fuel consumption. Then, spending of foreign exchange can be reduced as well.
In agricultural sector also, chemical fertilizers have to be imported. Various ways are being sought to produce enough chemical fertilizers domestically. The domestic factories are also trying for this. Ours is a country based on agriculture and livestock breeding. Cattle and poultry are raised. So systematic livestock breeding is necessary to produce natural fertilizers from their wastes. Knowledge dissemination is required for systematic livestock breeding.
Regarding narcotic drugs, producers are smuggling their drugs in various ways by taking advantage of the country’s political situation. From 1 February to September this year, there were 528 drug seizures —128 million of WY tablets, 11,190 kilograms of ICE, 1,451 kilograms of heroin, 1,227 kilograms of raw opium, 547 kilograms of ketamine, 74 kilograms of cocaine and 197,869 kilograms of other drugs worth Ks-506.97 billion. Hence, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Tatmadaw must try to clamp down on drug production and smuggling. Such seizures indicate that narcotics are being produced in our country. Production places are the ethnic armed groups-controlled areas.
Regarding taxes, the nation’s income is revenue through collecting taxes. It is needed to correctly and fully collect electric bills and earn revenues through the taxes levied by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Commerce. It is required for the people to have a sense of being a taxpayer and be agreeable in paying the taxes due. Despite the cut in imposing taxes on the one hand, it is needed to systema-tically collect taxes due to be paid on the other hand. Only if the revenues are earned through collecting taxes, tasks could be implemented to ensure development of the nation and improvement of socioeconomic life of the people. Only if there is an improvement in the socio-economic life of the people, will there be a stable, peaceful nation.
It is needed to create a good environment for the people. The people need to have a sense of consciousness in dumping garbage and cleaning bushes to keep the environment clean and beautiful and the development departments concerned have to make efforts as well. It is necessary to create good, pleasant surroundings to make one’s mindset good. Besides, as there are many sectors left to be reformed , the ministries concerned need to make more efforts.
Then, the union ministers reported on sector-wise matters and had confirmation on them.
Afterwards, the Senior General gave concluding remarks saying it was learnt that as an adult’s oil consumption was about over 10 viss for a year according to the calculation, it was needed to have a decrease in average oil consumption per capita and have a healthy consumption of oil. If adequate edible oil is produced domestically and there is a cut in consumption of oil, there will be less import of edible as well as a cut in spending of foreign exchange. The ministries concerned need to widely conduct educational tasks on less consumption of oil.
Regarding the land management policy, it is seen that those who acquired plots had not operated tasks on cultivation and production. There are specifications for operating cultivation and production tasks on an annual basis. But, it is seen that cultivable plots were illegally utilized in other means without permission. It is found that those, who acquired plots in the land designated for implementing projects, had not truly acted on the ground. They are needed to follow the land law and policies. Thus, the ministries and organizations need to correctly take supervisory measures on them. It is needed for the officials concerned to systematically carry out land management tasks. It is necessary to effectively utilize the land. In the country, the road boundary is set accurately. Officials are to systematically handle road boundary matters in order that there will be no trespasses in the road boundaries.
As regards the regions of ethnic people, priorities must be given to implementing tasks for development of the states. Tasks on health, education and job opportunities must be carried out for the development of the states and tasks on development of infrastructure must be taken as well. Only if improvement of the sectors in the regions of ethnic people is in picture, there will be a trust in the government, and that will be helpful to build a stable,
peaceful and prosperous nation.
Our country is a Union State comprising regions and states. Thus, it is necessary to have unity as all the people will enjoy equality through thick and thin. As our nation is rich in natural resources and skills, the nation could be at the medium level in ASEAN in five years if all make efforts together. If we make more efforts, the nation could be at the top level in ASEAN in 10 years. Thus, all the responsible people need to make collective and cooperative efforts. As the government is a shade of the people, efforts are to be made so that the people could live in the shade peacefully and happily. We, the government, are to carry out the tasks profitably under the National Planning Law for development of the states and improvement of socio-economic life of the entire people.