SAC Vice Chairman Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win meets MSME entrepreneurs, departmental personnel and local national races from Danu Self-Administered Zone, Shan State (South)
NAY PYI TAW March 18
Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win met MSME entrepreneurs from Danu SelfAdministered Zone, Shan State (South), departmental personnel and local national races in Pindaya of the self-administered zone this morning.
On arrival at Pindaya, the Vice-Senior General and party were welcomed by Danu Self Administered Zone Leading Body Chairman U Arka Lin and officials.
Also present together with the Vice-Senior General were SAC members U Poe Rei Aung Thein and U Khun San Lwin, Shan State Chief Minister U Aung Zaw Aye, the self-admini-stered zone leading body chair-man, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, and deputy ministers.
The leading body chairman reported on regional points and MSMEs in operation, the chief minister, on endeavours for progress of MSMEs in Shan State.
U Ba Si of Cherry Taungtan Tea Plantation and General Businesses Cooperative Society, U Aung Hsu Htaik of Shwete-tlan Potato Group, Daw Hanni Ko of Amayein Foodstuff and Personal Goods Production Enterprise, Danu Nyinaung Coffee Producer U Aung Than, Shwetaungtan Coffee Producer U Zaw Myo Naing and Holiday Coffee Producer Daw Hnin Nwe Soe reported on production and distribution of valueadded local food products and difficulties. Deputy ministers explained availability of quality strains for potato farmers, cooperation of farmers in research programs, ministrywise implementations, availability of loans through legal means and procedures, provision of capital through the establishment of cooperative societies for regional progress, socioeconomic improvement and income generation, availa-bility of inputs through the local branches of relevant ministries, installation of a website where information of all available courses arranged by the MSME Central Committee are accessible, ministrywise and region/statewise support.
The Vice-Senior General asked for more information and looked into the requirements through coordination mechanism.
In his speech, the Vice-Senior General said the trip for deve-lopment of local MSMEs was arranged in accord with the guidance of the Prime Minister. Economic development is important for regional progress, and regional peace, stability and rule of law are essential for economic growth. Hence, local people should join hands with the security forces to maintain peace and stability. Only then will they be able to do business and extend production and markets in a safety environment for socioeconomic progress. Locals should develop their incomegenerating businesses for economic development, and the government departments should provide assistance to them. But the locals play a key role to reach this end.
MSME is to manufacture quality products based on regional raw materials. Therefore, it is necessary to have technology, capital, input and human resources to operate the MSMEs. Human resources are important for all types of businesses. As today’s agriculture and livestock sectors depend on machinery and technology, it is necessary to be skilled and learned in sectorwise areas. Market availability will be different depending on skilled workers in the process of production. Therefore, to have suitable education at different levels of business, the Prime Minister has laid down the policy that every school age child is to go to school and every student is to pass at least KG+9 Grade. In the successive governments, various literacy projects on education have been made and implicated. The Prime Minister, since he took office as the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services in 2011, has made a policy that privates at all levels must complete at least primary education and then have completed the secondary education. He has focused on implementing that policy yearly. Doing so is aimed to ensure that only the servicemen who completed secondary education could operate modernized weapons being used today in the Tatmadaw. In the period when the responsibilities of the State are temporarily taken in accordance with the 2008 Constitution, efforts are being made to achieve success in implementing the policy that every school age child is to go to school and every student is to pass at least KG+9 Grade. Only if all the school age children pass KG+9 Grade, will they proceed with further studies in higher education or vocational training courses.
Capital is essential for MSMEs. In the previous government, the government and private organizations disbursed loans to SMEs from their funds. It is learnt that over Ks-6 billion were disbursed to 2,822 people in Danu Selfadministered Zone. In the time of our govern-ment, with the permission of the Prime Minister, Ks-5 billion from the State economic development fund have been disbur-sed to the local entrepreneurs as capital loans. It is necessary to properly reach the loans to entrepreneurs who are capable of operating businesses and truly need the capital. If not, there will be burdens and the entrepreneurs who received the loan will fall into the deep of debt. The entrepreneurs who applied for loans today are needed to submit their business plans in detail on the applied loans through the regional go vernment concerned.
Regarding the input, there are inputs such as fertilizer, water,fuel oil, electricity depending on the type of business. In terms of the rice production industry,quality in the production process of cultivation to milling depends on technology.
Similarly, technology is essential for livestock breeding and other industries. Technology courses are being conducted on the websites of the ministries related to MSME such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, the Ministry of Electric Power and the Ministry of Industry. It is reported that the Danu Self Administered Zone can cultivate sufficient rice for the zone. Rice produced in the zone is required to be of high quality. Rice prices vary from two fold to three fold depending on quality. As the zone can produce sufficient meat for it, the industry can contribute a lot to regional development if frozen meat can be produced.
To do so, modern technology is essential.
Pindaya is a famous tour destination for the tourism industry of Myanmar and can attract domestic and foreign tourists. It is necessary to enhance the manufacturing of local products traditionally to promote the tourism industry which is referred to as smokeless factories and generates local and foreign revenues.
As the selfadministered zone is an interesting tour destination for foreigners, it is necessary to manufacture local traditional products properly by registering their trade marks.
The economy of the country has improved to some extent as the government has taken measures to balance exports and imports, to promote import-substitute products and to encourage the local manufacturing industries.
Regional development tasks cannot be carried out alone by the government and it is necessary for all local residents to cooperate with the government for further development.
Then, the Vice-Senior General presented gifts for departmental staff to Chairman U Arkar Lin and officials of the leading body of the self-administered zone.
Then, the Vice-Senior General and party inspected the display of local foodstuff, consumer products and industrial products and responsible officials conducted round the Vice-Senior General and party.
Afterward, the Vice-Senior General and party proceed to the Shwe Oomin Natural Cave pagoda in Pindaya and paid obeisance to Buddha images in the cave before signing the guest book of the pagoda and offering flowers, water, lights and cash donations for the pagoda.
Then, the Vice-Senior General and party visited the Zedi Gyi Monastery in Pindaya and paid obeisance to monks led by Dr Bhaddanta Khema Nanna and received five precepts from the Sayadaw before offering rice, edible oil and alms for the monks and sharing merits under the guidance of the Sayadaw. Afterward, the Vice-Senior General reported religious affairs to the Sayadaw and sought sermons. A total of 16 lecturer Sayadaw and about 100 learning novices are propagating Pariyatti Sasana at the teaching monastery.