Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing addresses Union Government held meeting 4/2022
NAY PYI TAW May 31
The Union Government held meeting 4/2022 at the meeting hall of State Administration Council Chairman’s Office in Nay Pyi Taw this afternoon addressed by Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present were SAC Vice Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win and Union ministers. The Nay Pyi Taw Council chairman and region and state chief ministers took part in the meeting through video conferencing.
Endeavours for peace and stability The Senior General said there were disturbances when the SAC started to assume State duties due to political disagreements.
Terrorist acts even broke out because of the instigations of some EAOs, and they continue till today. But SAC has made utmost efforts to stop those terrorist acts with the least degree of losses and injuries.
Security forces who were on duty and innocent people died in the terrorist attacks. Now peace has returned.
Progress in controlling COVID-19 He said a nation cannot stand still. It must continue its functions. SAC had to overcome the COVID-19 second and third waves with difficulties. Now, the virus can be contained thanks to the public participation and the hard work of civilian and military health staff and administrative bodies. The country tested over eight million people and detected 613,326 positive cases of which 19,434 patients died during the period till 30 this month. At present, the infection rate has dropped to 0.16 percent. On 30 May, 255,462 positive cases were found in the whole world, and the total number exceeded 531 million.
Many other countries are being hit harder than Myanmar. The Senior General thanked the people of the country who lent a helping hand and China, India,Thailand, Russia, Malaysia and other countries that helped Myanmar as a good friend. The government has been solving the terrorism problem and COVID-19 infection while striving for national development, he said.
Education promotion The government tried to open the schools in 2021, but COVID-19 had forced to close them again. There were difficulties due to the CDM of some health staff and PDF terrorist attacks.
Anyhow, final examinations could be held in the last week of March 2022. Plans are underway to start the new academic year, and the number of student enrollment exceeded 4.9 million and counting. A large number of students are attending classes at the institutions of higher learning that reopened this year. It shows the enthusiasm of students. The government is applying multiple ways to guarantee a peaceful learning environment for students.
Production growth and better economy for national development National economic development calls for regular functioning of local businesses. Global countries are hit by COVID-19.
Myanmar’s exports did not reach the expected level. Production businesses can support the export industry. But the products must meet the required standard and be marketable.
All-round efforts ensure national economic growth. A government can fully expedite national development only if it has income. National income fell during the time COVID-19 infection rate was high, but later it rose again. But it has not reached the normal level yet. Ministries should strive to receive all the tax revenues. The Senior General said State-owned factories cannot manufacture quality products due to use of old machinery, late technologies, less operating capacity, and lesser volume of inputs.
The government is carrying out development tasks of the nation by spending its earnings.
It is necessary to scrutinize efficiently spending of the fund under the rules and regulations if necessary. Due to some requirements for trading of the State, restrictions were posed for importing some goods. But, arrangements were made not to be shortage of fuel and edible oil despite high prices in the world market.
Some regions and states are endowed with raw materials to produce steel and cement for construction of the buildings.
If it can establish small-scale industrial zones for production of cement for construction tasks based on these raw materials, it will fulfill the regional development, benefiting the relevant regions.
Need for development of relevant regions, land utilization and raising productivity Regarding regional development, land utilization and raising productivity, the Senior General said: “I have told chief ministers one month ago. If they utilize their land and natural resources to increase production, it will contribute much to the State.
So, I emphasize resources. We have water and land resources.
We have cultivable lands and the lands for livestock farms.
So, I held a separate meeting for development of Nay Pyi Taw Council Area recently. I told those present for fully utilizing the land. For example, we have some 33 million sown acres in addition to 48 million acres of mixed and double cropping lands. So, some 15 million acres of land are used for single crops and the remaining are for the mixed and double cropping plants. If we try to cultivate double crops on 15 million acres of land, the agricultural produce will double. If it may be impossible, the actual works can bring good results. So, we have to manage land, quality strains and water for farmers. These products can be used in livestock farms. It will be feedstuffs.
Agricultural products will come out. If cattle farming achieve success, many businesses based on agriculture and livestock farms can be operated in regions and states. If industries are operated, they require electricity.
If region and state authorities strive for generating electricity on own without taking electricity from national grids, these production can be operated in the electricity generating areas. If they operates productions for livestock and agricultural products, industries and industrial zones will come out in regions and states. It is just a potential ways for production. I don’t tell any impossibilities. It will be the best that regions and states need to put investments in businesses in their areas without hoping for the investments from far distance in order to manufacture the domestic products. I have told it once in Pathein. While inspecting Pathein industrial zone, I heard a report to invite foreign companies to operate garment factories there. So, I said it may be possible. But, you have rice mills there. You grow beans. So, you should try hard to produce value-added products. You need to cultivate vegetables and operate livestock farms and then manufacture value-added products, so these businesses will contribute much to the State. So, these projects must be implemented by region and state authorities.”
Need for improvement in sports sector The Senior General continued to say that Myanmar stood 7th position in the XXXI SEA Games.
The Senior General said he himself met with athletes bound for the SEA Games. It was found that those athletes poured out utmost efforts in the competitions of the games. In reviewing the records of the games for three years, this year’s result is better than previous ones. A total of 382 athletes participated in 29 sport events of the XXIX SEA Games, bagging seven gold, 10 silver and 20 bronze medals, totalling 37. Altogether 351 athletes secured four gold, 18 silver and 51 bronze, totalling 73 in the XXX SEA Games.
In the XXXI SEA Games, 287 athletes bagged nine gold, 18 silver and 35 bronzes, totalling 62 in 20 sport events. Despite lesser number of athletes than previous years, their achievements gained progress. The sport is prestige of a country. To improve the sports standard, the countries with monetary assistance, encouragement and prevalence of peace and stability based on security and political trends secure the bigger win than Myanmar. It highlights the condition of Myanmar. So, the country needs to have more wealth, peace and stability of the State, security and lessconflicts. If so, the people will foster patriotic and nationalistic spirits to have greater progress.
The State needs to encourage sports for psychological development.
Training must undergo while equipment and sport facilities must be provided.
Meanwhile, full nutrition is necessary. Athletes also need to live in discipline and watch what they eat. There are still weaknesses in their physical development. They need to mend what they eat for their physical development. Respective ministries, regions and states need to prepare sports events in national interest. Doing sports ranges from individuals’ health and fitness to participation in international events. In this context, systematic preparations are required from a lower level. Measures must be taken to guarantee job opportunities and life security of athletes.
Soon, sports and games will be held to mark the diamond jubilee of Independence Day, so ministries, regions and states need to make preparations for that, the Senior General said.
Next, the union ministers in attendance reported on their respective sectors.
In response to the reports, the Senior General said foreign experts are being hired in maintaining and repairing the hydropower stations. But efforts must be made to replace them with Myanmar engineers. Nation building requires engineers. So, respective regions and states must try to open more government technological schools, colleges and universities. The aim of conducting courses at the Central Institute of Civil Service is to turn out good civil servants. Giving basic military training in those courses also aims to ensure that they live in discipline and cultivate good habits.
In his concluding remarks, the Senior General said the government tried to make KG+9 education system compulsory.
In the peace talks, such an education system was explained.
That system has already been included the 30-year national education strategy that started in 2010. After completion KG+9, measures must be taken for students to continue KG + 10 + 11 + 12, higher education and vocational training such as agricultural and livestock breeding schools and technical training schools. Respective regions and states must try to open such kinds of training schools. Coordination must be sought from relevant ministries to ensure outstanding students continue university education.
Being able to pursue university education can facilitate social relations and management.
Law and economics subjects play an important role in nationbuilding tasks. Universities are planning to confer degrees and diplomas related to those subjects. Again, outstanding students will have the chance to higher level courses.
In the education sector, plans are underway to review and amend national education law provisions so that it cannot mess with political affairs. In tertiary education, the subject of political science can be taught.
But, education and politics should not go together. One should enter politics only for political purposes.
The Ministry of Ethnic Affairs is planning to teach ethnic languages at relevant basic education schools. As such, there must be one single policy as there are diverse national races.
It is necessary to coordinate and negotiate different things.
As Myanmar language and speech are official for the union, all Myanmar citizens need to learn and know Myanmar language.
In the administrative mechanism, it is necessary to open important departments as quickly as possible in the regions and states and self-administered zones including newly formed districts as district formation has been prioritized. Those ministries responsible for contact with international organizations need to emphasize education and human resource development in relation to bilateral cooperation, the Senior General said.