Nay Pyi Taw October 15
Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivers speech at Meeting (16/2021) of SAC
Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivered a speech at the Meeting (16/2021) of the SAC at the Office of the Chairman of the SAC in Nay Pyi Taw this afternoon.
Also present were Vice Chairman of the SAC Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win and members General Mya Tun Oo, Admiral Tin Aung San, General Maung Maung Kyaw, Lt-Gen Moe Myint Tun, Mahn Nyein Maung, U Thein Nyunt, U Khin Maung Swe, Daw Aye Nu Sein, Jeng Phang Naw Taung, U Moung Har, U Sai Lone Hsai, Saw Daniel, Dr Banya Aung Moe, U Shwe Kyein, Secretary Lt-Gen Aung Lin Dway, and Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo.
First, the Senior General made a speech, saying efforts are being made for supplying abundant food for respective regions. Although the country has sufficient food for the entire nation, there are some areas with food shortages in some regions and states. Without being content with local rice sufficiency, incomes of farmers must be raised by taking measures for high yields. The appropriate reference paddy price was calculated based on the economy of the country and the basic salary of low level workers. It is necessary for the government to provide fertilizers and diesel as much as possible. Similarly, it is also necessary to boost the yields of other crops. Therefore, I advised authorities in Kachin State, Shan State, Mandalay Region and Yangon Region to boost the yield of crops. As Yangon Region is the place where the best opportunities are accumulated and transportation is efficient, it can secure the top status among states and regions by trying to utilize the advantages.
In connection with international relations, a five-point agreement including the appointment of a special envoy and sending him to Myanmar was roughly reached at the ASEAN on 24 April and the purposes of the agreement is to enable the ASEAN to cooperate in political national reconciliation and to restore stability in Myanmar. We urged them to cooperate in accordance with the ASEAN charter and commitments but it was later found that there were some other interferences rather than resolve the issues politically and we are continuing negotiations to iron out the differences as much as possible.
Regarding internal peace, as today is the six anniversary of the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, I urged signatories to the NCA to continue to make efforts to make progress while non-signatories were invited to negotiations. I fully explain to them the desire of the people for peace and contribution to the interest of the country in my speech delivered through video message. Charges against members of the EAOs who were detained for various reasons were dropped today and released except those who physically committed acts of terror or those who were arrested together with weapons.
In formulating policies, we place emphasis on development of the country and abundant supplies of food for people, which is politics. On the other hand, the Ministry of Home Affairs and administrative councils are performing duties for the rule of law.
The Tatmadaw and the ministry are also cooperating for armed conflicts. At the same time, we are taking appropriate action as some EAOs, taking advantage of the political instability, are producing and smuggling narcotic drugs. As the cooperation of the people has improved at present, many arrests were made due to information given by and the deep cooperation of the people. Cooperation of the people is essential and it is found that information is received very fast and stability has been restored quickly in areas where the public cooperation has improved.
Although there was a surplus in trade, its volume fell in fiscal year 2020-2021 under global economic trends. Trade in goods other than essentials such as food also fell. The country has factories and raw materials that can fulfill its cement demand. The country’s cement production should meet the local demand.
The majority of rural people, which represents nearly 70 percent of the country's population, are farmers. Their basic needs cannot be ignored. The most important requirement for agriculture is fertilizer and water. As the cost of importing chemical fertilizers is high, bio fertilizer production should be carried out. But urea fertilizer production must be prioritized as it is essential. Natural gas is the main requirement in running urea fertilizer factory on full scale.
As the gas is being exported under various headings, the benefits for the country should be taken into account as priority in reaching gas export agreements. Electricity should be generated from renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind power and solar power. In this way, gas-run power generation systems can be reduced and gas can be saved for other purposes.
The country needs a modern farming system. Thanks to the evaporated cooling system, the Tatmadaw’s layer farms are making profits as their egg production rate is high. But the country still lags behind in farming technology when compared with other global countries.
Abandoning the traditional way by applying modern techniques and equipment will enhance the economy of rural people, the main driving forces of the national economic growth. So, arrangements are underway to extend agriculture and farming institutes, colleges and universities.
Local-made goods must be encouraged for the growth of the local economy during the time the country is facing COVID- 19. Proper guidance and support must be provided to improve the social life of the people as the wealth of the people is the wealth of the country.
Although infection rate is lower than in the previous months, the country must further reduce COVID-19 infection rate. Tests are being conducted in regions and stated under strict rules. According to the information released on 14 October evening, there were 1,514 positive cases and 33 deaths. Infection rate was around eight percent. Vaccination program for basic education school students is underway now. It is encouraging that the high number of people are taking shots. Shan State has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country.
As COVID-19 awareness is still needed all must observe the safety rules. Stay-at-home orders will be withdrawn in townships where infection rate drops. But, the 100 percent safety level has not been reached yet. A total of 23,823,600 donated or imported doses have arrived in the country. The ongoing vaccination program has vaccinated 12,291,148 persons till 14 this month. Efforts are being made to import more vaccines. The fall in the infection rate is the result of full public cooperation in prevention, containment and treatment undertakings, adequate oxygen supply, the system of importing medicines through one stop service at zero tariff and a proper vaccination program. SAC members should strive for national prosperity through multiple sectors.
Then, SAC members briefed on re-enacting laws necessary for security of the State and the people, repealing the laws harmful to the national interests of the State, making plans for ensuring adequate foods domestically, providing rice and basic foodstuff for ensuring convenience in livelihood of the low-income people, exercising PR electoral system for the election so that the Hluttaw could not be dominated by one party, which looks like a dictator, making malpractices in the 2020 Election known to the international community and the people and taking action against the malpractices legally, letting the Central Bank of Myanmar give supervision to ensure smooth cash flow among the people, making the people extensively known of the State’s policies being implemented by ministries, letting the government to provide supervision on production of animal feeds for improving the livestock sector, taking quality control task to ensure quality irrigated water supplied by Chaungmagyi Dam in Nay Pyi Taw and boosting security of the dam, giving supervision to ensure no corruption among the employees of banks, conserving mangrove forests in Rakhine State, taking supervisory tasks over social media pages for security and rule of law, inoculating students in regions and states with COVID-19 vaccine, ensuring smooth and speedy export of domestic products to earn foreign exchange income, manufacturing some construction materials domestically, making plans to generate electricity through solar energy and supply power from the national grid in the mountains of Chin State, ensuring reasonable prices in buying fuel oil necessary for combined harvesters and extending opening of government offices in self-administered regions.
Afterwards, regarding the reports, the Senior General said that tasks for re-enacting necessary laws and repealing the unnecessary laws would be taken in coordination with ministries and organizations concerned.
With regard to the basic price of purchasing paddy, basic salaries of civil servants and workers of factories were taken into consideration for setting the basic paddy price. The PR electoral system has been agreed on a principle basis, and the Union Election Commission is working on the matter having talks with political parties concerned. The Union Election Commission has plans for talks to be held with NGOs and INGOs.
As regards export items, firstly, efforts must be made to meet domestic needs. Commercial attaches are assigned duties at some embassies to explore foreign markets for new export items. Regarding power supply in Chin State, it is needed to consider that wind energy, a form of renewable energy, will be developed. It is necessary to ensure peace and stability in the region.
As regards opening of the government offices in selfadministered regions, priorities will be given to extension of opening government offices truly nece-ssary for development of the regions. Plans will be made to take tasks for conserving and restoring mangrove forests. Special consideration is given on carrying out the vaccination program, and vaccines required will be further imported, he said.
Later, the Senior General gave concluding remarks saying our objectives are to achieve prosperity of the nation and ensure emergence of a genuine federal democracy union. Due to various circumstances, our nation has not been developed as much as it should be. Shameful malpractices that happened in the previous election are the acts of ugliness for the State, and it is needed to take a lesson from them. Efforts are being made at the best with a wish to relay good inheritance to future generations. SAC members are needed to make efforts for the interests of the State with a wide-ranging sense of experience and knowledge, he said.
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