NAY PYI TAW June 13
Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win delivered an address to state-level government members and departmental officials at the meeting hall of the Office the State Government in Sittwe this morning.
Also present at the meeting were members of the SAC Daw Aye Nu Sein and U Shwe Kyein, Chief Minister Dr Aung Kyaw Min of Rakhine State, senior military officers from the Office of the Commanderin-Chief, the commander of Western Command, deputy ministers, member of the state government in Sittwe and departmental officials.
First, the Chief Minister of Rakhine State reported on administrative, economic and social affairs in the state by using PowerPoint to the Vice-Senior General. After hearing the reports, the Vice-Senior General raised questions on matters of interest and coordinated necessary measures.
Then, members of the state government and departmental officials introduced themselves to the Vice-Senior General individually.
Afterwards, the Vice-Senior General delivered a speech, saying that he was visiting the Rakhine State to learn the implementation of the five-point roadmap and nine objectives of the SAC by state government members and departmental officials and to solve the problems in implementing them.
Rakhine State has an area of 14,800 square miles and 144 islands and 94 of which are inhabited by local residents.
Fishery is the main business of the state while agriculture and livestock breeding tasks arebeing carried out in the state.
The development of a state requires thriving businesses, which in turn calls for stability in the region. Stability already restored in the state must be maintained by participation of all.
As for the economy, the entire world had to endure the impacts of COVID-19 and Myanmar itself had to struggle during the third wave of the pandemic and suffered economic hardships.
The cooperation of national races and responsible officials played a major role in the overcoming of the hardships of the pandemic. In accordance with the speech of the Prime Minister that the strength of a nation lies inside, the unity of all national races can overcome every challenge. In carrying out tasks, some are short tasks and others are long term tasks.
Therefore, it is necessary to implement long term tasks phase by phase by planning projects systematically. As for short term projects, it is necessary to implement them energetically and quickly, leading to visible quick win results. Fishery is one of the advantages of the state and depended on by the local residents as a major livelihood.
Instead of relying on traditional methods, applying scientific methods by acquiring help from technicians to carry out breeding of fish, prawn and soft crabs can create business opportunities and can contribute a lot to regional development.
In the similar manner, restrictions of COVID-19 have been lifted phase by phase to pave the way for tourism operations and it is necessary to promote the tours to Maruk-U and Ngapali Beach and coastal areas.
For agriculture, target yield rates have been set with 100 baskets of monsoon paddy per acre and 120 baskets of summer paddy per acre. It is necessary to meet the targets.
Rakhine State has good records of high mung bean yields and efforts are required to boost.
The agricultural institute in Kyauktaw needs to turn out agriculturalists on whom the State can rely.
As a coastal region, Rakhine State is storm-prone. Natural disaster cannot easily be predicted or prevented. With advancing technology, close predictions are now available, so warnings with prescribed colour stages can be issued. Roughly, yellow stage means a storm forming in the Bay of Bengal or the Adman Sea. Orange stage means the storm moving towards a certain community.
Changes in the storm must be watched. Red stage means the storm due to arrive at the coast after 12 hours, so evacuations must be prepared. Brown stage means the landfall of the storm so people must have been in shelter. Green stage means the storm has dwindled and died down, so people can go home. Warning must be issued in parallel with times and protection is necessary. When a storm comes, measures must be taken in accord with the disaster preventive measure.
In this regard, rehearsals are a must to minimize loss and damage. Post-storm relief and rehabilitation tasks must also be carried out in accord with the prescribed plan.
When it comes to the Pankhin project, it is important for every eligible voter to have a national verification card to be able to hold a free and fair general election included in the roadmap of the SAC. Every person in terms of prescribed age must have only a national verification card. Only those who have turned 18 and held such a card have the right to vote. There are plans to have checks and scrutiny simultaneously in the regions and states to ensure correctness and prevent bloating.
When such plans come, heads of department are to play their respective roles and cooperate.
Regarding the sport sector, the athletes from Rakhine State deserve praise for being part of the 31st SEA Games medalists.
The Prime Minister himself graced the ceremony to honour the medalists and participants and gave away handsome prizes. More training is necessary to turn out more brilliant athletes in the state. It is necessary to undergo training with the ambition of breaking record at regional, Southeast Asia and international levels.
The sport sector must be promoted as it is a prestige of the country.
In respect of peace, stability is fundamental to strengthen the economy and politics of a nation or a region. It can be seen that developed nations in the world have no armed conflict.
Thus, the Head of State invited ethnic armed organizations on April 22 to hold dialogues on no precondition basis to ensure the permanent peace that is essential for enabling the people to live peacefully and happily along with development of the nation.
So far, positive talks have been held with five EAOs, who understand the true wish of the citizens who like to live peacefully and want the essence of peace not to be ruined. Moreover, a delegation of ALP in Rakhine State has arrived in Nay Pyi Taw by special flight organized by Nay Pyi Taw and is having dialogues with the Head of State and members of National Solidarity and Peace Making Negotiation Committee.
Looking forward to ensuring permanent peace, the work is being carried out to keep holding dialogues with the remaining EAOs.
In the education sector, it is witnessed that Rakhine State has a bigger number of students and teachers at basic education high schools, universities and degree colleges than that in other states and regions. It shows that there is a state of suitable stability in the state, and it is required for Rakhine State Government, departmental heads, civil servants and regional residents to work together not to ruin the already gained stability.
Taking a leading role, the Rakhine State Government needs to support the economy, community, health and education of the regional people. The Rakhine State Government and departmental heads are to dispassionately render services to the public properly up to the grass root level. Officials are urged to make efforts to win credibility of the state through coordination and cooperation on development of the state.