Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win attends 1/2021 Meeting National-Level Social Protection Committee and delivers an address
Nay Pyi Taw December 14
The National-Level Social Protection Committee held the 1/2021 Meeting at 2 pm today at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement with Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win attended and delivered an address.
The meeting held virtually was also attended by ministers, members of the committee, deputy ministers and permanent secretaries, directors-general, the chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, chief ministers of region and state governments, the deputy auditor-general and officials.
The National-Level Social Protection Committee was reformed and restructured under the Order No. 14/2021 of the State Administration Council to ensure more effectiveness in implementing social protection tasks to be extended and the tasks being part of the strategic plan of the Myanmar National-Level Social Protection Committee.
The relevant Working Committee formed to effectively carry out the tasks is spearheaded by the Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement who acted as the chairperson.
Having reviewed the implementation of the strategic plan on Myanmar’s social protection affairs that has been approved and issued since 2014, achievements have been seen and things necessary to be better are required to be taken as well. Particularly, forms to implement financial aid plans on social protection had been changed due to the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic experienced during the period from 2020 to 2021.
It has been more aware of the importance of social protection tasks during the COVID-19 period. The committee is to continue to prepare for making the plans and tasks to be reformed through the lessons gained from the pandemic situation to be able to better respond to similar pandemics in the future.
Presently, it has been learnt that the Social Welfare Department started building Social Management Information System-SMIS to ensure better, more effective capabilities in carrying out social protection tasks. It is also important to progress in the implementation of social protection tasks. After building SMIS, it is needed to have cooperation on a sector-wise basis to effectively apply the system and to ensure its long-term existence.
Another progress that has been seen is that a method of electronic cash transfer would be tested and used in implementing cash assistance plans in Ayeyawady Region and Shan State. There might be difficulties to be experienced in the initial stages of doing reforms. Taking lessons from those sorts of difficulties, it is necessary to keep carrying out the tasks to be better.
It is needed to understand that difficulties and challenges come together along with achievements and progress and flourishment. Particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic period, difficulties such as limited measures taken on the ground, change of original plans on the tasks and other COVID-19 related matters were experienced.
In addition, access to long-term funding for the ongoing "funding programs" and "ongoing social protection programs" could be a challenge, and a "long-term funding strategy" must be formulated and implemented.
To develop and implement a strategy, it is learned that the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has started work.
It is more important to have legal backing for the sustainability of social protection financing programs. For this, the ministry needs to make efforts to finalize the Social Assistant Law (draft) within the current financial year.
Social protection is one of the key activities in the main strategic plan of the country, “Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP)”. In addition, social protection activities are the responsibility of the government for the benefit of all citizens.
It is a practical process for a commitment between the government and its citizens to take responsibility for the socio-economic problems of its citizens.
Looking back at the history of our country, King Kyansittha's inscription on the Shwezigon Pagoda on the protection of Burmese society during the Bagan period reads: “I will provide food supplies with my right hand. With my left hand I will give you clothes. I will comfort the people just as a mother comforts her son in her arms” and it is a precursor to the protection of modern Myanmar society. Therefore, “social protection” is a priority of the State and a project that directly benefits the people. In matters of coordination and funding between ministries, I would like to urge effective coordination between ministries and partner organizations for implementation.
Then, the Vice-Senior General closed the meeting with concluding remarks.