Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing addresses Union Government meeting 2/2022
NAY PYI TAW March 30
The Union Government held its meeting 2/2022 at the meeting hall of SAC Chairman’s Office in Nay Pyi Taw this morning with an address by Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present were Vice Chairman of SAC Deputy PrimeMinister Vice-Senior General Soe Win and Union ministers.
Chief ministers of regions and states participated in the meeting through Video Conferencing.
Presentation of Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Union Minister U Tin Htut Oo in his presentation explained the national land use program, cultivation and yield of major crops, adoption of highyield methods, nationwide irrigation capacity, local edible oil consumption and local edible oil sufficiency program through the establishment of special zones region/state wise.
Presentation of Union Minister for Electricity and Energy Union Minister U Aung Than Oo explained electricity production and consumption of the country, plans to increase electricity generation in 2023, future hydropower, wind power, thermal power and solar power production plans, implementation of Interconnection plans, and current region/state-wise power distribution.
Presentation of Union Minister for Commerce Union Minister Dr Pwint Hsan explained the import of fuel oil and price stabilizing techniques, sector-wise fuel consumption, domestic production, alternate selling system for availability of fuel oil at low prices, ongoing edible oil import reduction programs, and measures taken to bring down palm oil price.
Presentation of Union Minister for Health Union Minister for Health Dr Thet Khaing Win reported on COVID-19 vaccine availability and vaccination, preparedness and response measures in the third and fourth waves, control and treatment measures, progress in vaccination, plans to vaccinate the students under 12 in the 2022-2023 academic year, future work plans and difficulties in vaccination, and measures to revive the socioeconomic tasks of the State.
Sufficiency of cooking oil and fuel Delivering a speech, the Senior General said he had talked about the sufficiency of cooking oil and fuel. The matter of reducing individual consumption of edible oil has been mentioned.
A person needs to consume 2.25 ticals of edible oil for his health. According to the calculation based on that rate, the demand can be met with domestic production. However, individual consumption of cooking oil is high in the country.
Therefore, it is necessary to reduce consumption while the ministries concerned and chief ministers need to seek ways to boost domestic production.
With enough cultivable land, the country needs to use it at full capacity. Double cropping in all acres of farmlands will boost yield. In summer, riverwater pumping for agriculture will produce more benefits. Oil palm cultivation was inspected and it is found that some land areas were not really put under cultivation. There are weaknesses in management. So, the relevant ministries and region and state governments need to take systematic supervisory measures.
When it comes to agriculture, “The way is like that regarding agriculture. For crop yield, first, we need to use land efficiently.
Second, we must try to ensure good yield. We must ensure good strains if we don’t have.
The Agricultural Research Department is working. But, it produce strains based on research results. We must be on a commercial scale. As I have just said, there are about 15 million acres of paddy plantations nationwide. We grow monsoon paddy. There are a lot of paddy strains. They must be sorted out. For example, put two strains in a region or state.
There are 28 strains. When Nay Pyi Taw is included, there are 30 strains. We must try to produce these 30 strains for nationwide coverage. Research only is not enough. One finding is not enough. How will we implement. Will the State do it? If so, how will the State manage? The problem is that we have finished with research findings and demonstration. All cannot follow more extensively.
All have been used to doing things as ordered by superiors.
I don’t want it to be so. We must consider what we will do in our own regions. The same is applied in sunflower. There are good strains locally produced.
They are hybrid strains. For hybrid strains, about 50 baskets can be produced in one acre.
For local strains, around 25 or 26 baskets can be produced.
We have to change them into hybrid strains. How? Meetings are not enough. We need to realize this. How we will produce strains. Which ways? The State is responsible. All right, how will the State do? If it is for the private sector, practicality is important.”
The Senior General continued that the government has just pointed out the needs to implement reforms in the agriculture sector which is essential for the country. It is necessary to grow seasonal crops that are suitable for respective regions and it is possible to implement river water pumping projects by using solar energy. If such tasks can be carried out, agricultural works can be done in the central part of the country, where water is scarce, even in the summer. Efforts must be exerted for the development of the country.
Completion of electricity generation Concerning the timely completion of electricity generation tasks and the electricity demand, the Senior General said it is necessary to implement solar power generation projects to supply electricity during the day time in respective regions, where diesel is used for electricity generation. By generating electricity from solar energy in places which receive sufficient sunlight, the use of electricity from the national grid can be reduced.
This can save water and gas used in generating electricity and will be able to generate electricity to be used at night and for agriculture and factories and workshops. A lot of electricity is used in industries, transportation and social activities and there are many transportation tasks, projects and industries that use a lot of electricity. It is necessary to find out ways and means to replace fuel oil used in the transportation sector with electricity and to supply sufficient fuel oil or to supply abundant supply of it. Currently, the problem can be solved by using solar energy. The second means is the projects that will be completed two or three years later.
Efforts must be exerted to complete the projects as soon as possible.
Promotion of exports As for the promotion of exports, the Senior General said it will be beneficial for the country if agricultural products are manufactured and exported systematically. To achieve this, relevant ministries and responsible officials are required to make concerted efforts. In the same way, it is important to take necessary measures on imports. It is vital to promote exports while efforts are made to reduce the imports of major imports such as edible oil and fuel oil as much as possible.
COVID-19 vaccine must be fully complete As of December 31 last year, we have been able to provide 50 percent of the COVID-19 vaccine. Research has been carried out to calculate the probability that 50 percent was expected, but if it were actually done, it could be more than 60 percent complete. There were 250,000 vaccinations per day, and there were days when nearly 300,000 were vaccinated.
If the rate continues, the vaccination will be completed between February and March this year, and everyone will be vaccinated. However, there is still a need for vaccination in some states and regions, and there is room for completion nationwide, except in areas where there are terrorist insurgents.
Vaccination will only be able to prevent the spread of the disease to some extent, so it is necessary to carry out regional security measures and carry out vaccinations.
Local governance in management With regard to management, governments need to think broadly in the management of the country. By exercising their authority, it will need to be strictly enforced by each ministry in each region and state and there should be no exploitation of authority. We want them to focus on the welfare of the country and to be politically neutral. Ministries and the Chief Ministers of the respective Regions and States need to have administration, business, security and political views. We have to think from all angles with four perspectives.
Ministries are responsible for implementing government policies and to oversee the implementation of the goals.
Chief Ministers have the right plans and policies to suit their region and it will need to be done in the form of governance. It is also needed to maintain a good record of good deeds done for the country during his tenure, said the Senior General.
Afterwards, the union ministers reported on sector-wise matters.
Saving the spending In his concluding remarks, the Senior General said that ministries needed to conduct rescrutinizing and supervising if there is breach and adhesion of contracts on leasing lands owned by the ministries to the private sector in accordance with the terms and conditions prescribed in the original contracts.
Officials are required to supervise ministry-wise expenditure to save spending as much as they can. Saving spending will be of help to controlling the rise in commodity prices, and it is necessary to ensure actual enhancement of taking the tasks.
Reopening universities Universities and courses will be reopened in May, 2022. When reopened, all the students, who passed the matriculation exam in the academic year of 2019-2020, are to join the universities.
As there might be various forms of threat to the students not to attend the university classes, officials concerned are required to prepare and conduct security measures in advance.
Holding Thingyan Festival As COVID-19 outbreak has been under control to some extent, this year’s Thingyan Festival has been allowed to be held in respective regions and states. Ministries need to hold the festival in accordance with a sense of security awareness and the rules and restrictions on COVID-19. As acts of sabotage are unpredictable, administrative bodies concerned and security forces need to systematically work together. Despite a lower rate in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, it is necessary not to be careless and needed to stay safe being aware of the pandemic. In respect of COVID-19 vaccination, ministries are urged to help regional administrative bodies in meeting the set target in regions and states.