Chairman of National Planning Commission Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing addresses National Planning Commission meeting 1/2023
National Planning Commission held meeting 1/2023 at the meeting hall of State Administration Council Chairman’s Office here this morning, addressed by Chairman of the commission Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present were Vice Chairman of the commission SAC Vice Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win, commission member Union ministers, the Union auditor-general, the Union Civil Service Selection Board chairmen, the Central Bank of Myanmar governor, the Nay Pyi Taw Council chairman and deputy ministers. Chairmen of regions and states and self-administered area leading bodies took part in the meeting through video conferencing.
In his address, the Senior General said SAC after amending the financial year in October 2021 adopted national plans for the six-month interim period and the financial year 2022-2023. The current national plan for fiscal year 2022-2023 is a full term plan.
During fiscal year 2020-2021 starting from October 2020 to September 2021 there was a 5.9 percent drop in economic growth. But the nation saw a 2.4 percent economic growth in the six-month interim period and 3.4 percent economic growth in the first six months of fiscal year 2022-2023. The provisional estimated growth for the whole fiscal year is 3.4 percent, according to the relevant departments.
Full capacity running of in-ternal production businesses is important for national economic development. The said businesses will ensure local
food sufficiency by fulfilling the food demand. Moreover, the country will be able to reduce imports and increase exports. A strong production sector will generate job opportunities. Hence, efforts should be made to develop all parts of the production chain.
Modern methods must be applied in the farming business that is based on rural areas; and inputs must be effectively used for production development. Mo-reover, rural income generation programs must be implemented. Further work programs include growing of promising crops, manufacturing of value-added goods, selecting quality seeds, realizing the targets and quality improvement.
In the nation, 30 percent of
the population is urban dwellers and the remaining 70 percent, rural dwellers. Rural development will promote socio-economic progress, reduce ruralurban gap and ensure harmonious development in the entire country. The State will continue to promote people centred development undertakings that
cover every person and area.
Continued efforts are required to realize the sunflower cultivation goal and to help ensure domestic oil sufficiency. Difficulties faced in monsoon and winter sunflower cultivation seasons should be taken as lessons in trying to realize the goal through the involvement of farmers.
Efforts should be made with
added momentum for development of the farming and MS-MEs, which are permitted to receive financial aid from national economic development fund, and for fulfilling the local demand more.
Completion of projects in a fixed period is important, and the completion of ongoing pro-jects should be prioritized. Especially, soonest completion of certain hydropower projects delayed for various reasons will fulfill the electricity demand in time. Likewise, efforts should be made to complete renewable energy generation projects in accord with the schedule.
Proper supervision should be made for the local industries to realize and exceed their targets in producing imported commodities, iron, steel and chemical fertilizers. Factories must fulfill local demand through quality control measures. Assistance should be provided to enhance the private sector’s production and services as its development is also vital.
Multiple means must be applied in inviting more local and foreign investment for the country, and the investment pro-jects must be launched in time with the effective departmental coordination.
Only the good infrastructure will support national economic growth, facilitate transport between the different places,and reduce rural-urban gap. Hence infrastructure development is a priority task. Other urgent areas include all-inclusive healthcare, extension of life expectancy, reduction of child and expectant maternal mortality rate and reduction of death rates caused by infectious and non-infectious diseases. A healthy human society can only be built through promoting health awareness and establishing a healthy lifestyle. Hence, individual health knowledge and extended health awareness campaigns are required to reach this end.
Measures are being taken to construct housing for doctors and nurses who are performing in the health sector and to implement further projects for the development of healthcare infrastructures and services while spending for the health sector has been increased.
Annual budget spending has also been increased to build a strong and healthy society and to enhance the sports sector, which helps win a good reputation for the country while standard soccer pitches, stadiums, running tracks and swimming pools are being built in respective states and regions.
In connection with the education sector, efforts are being made to enhance education standards and to create learning opportunities for everyone. Since the SAC took office, the KG + 9 compulsory education system has been implemented. Education spending has been increased to carry out construction tasks such as the construction of new KG + 9 and KG + 12 school buildings, the renovation of dilapidated school buildings and building sufficient classrooms.
To nurture skilled laborers who are necessary for the manufacturing and services sector, plans have been approved to construct lecture halls and practical rooms to open 51 technical, agricultural and livestock breeding schools in 50 districts in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, the Ministry of Edu-cation, and the Ministry of Science and Technology. In addition to taking measures to guarantee jobs linked to worksites and to enable outstanding students to acquire advanced education in relevant academic disciplines, stipends have been offered to them.
As regards school learning, the rates of school learning for each age group have dropped gradually, according to the interim census (2019). It was learnt that the school learning rate for the age group between 14 and 15 years of ages stood at 76 percent and the rate for the age group between 15 and 24 years of ages dropped to 31.6 percent while that for the age group of 25 years and above fell only to 0.3 percent, according to the census. As the data bode ill for the future of the country, concerted efforts must be made to raise the school learning rate of all school-aged children and to reduce the drop-out rates.
Moreover, in order to achieve a future teeming with knowledge and technical know-how, measures must be taken to make opportunities for lifelong learn-ing accessible to all, to create an education system that places emphasis not only on quantity but also on quality and to nurture human resources instilled with knowledge and technical know-how. Students are required to be enthusiastic about learning while parents, teachers and the society must cooperate with them.
As global warming encountered by the entire world causes disastrous environmental im-pacts and hinders development, it is necessary to carry out environmental conservation tasks with all seriousness. Efforts must always be made to conserve forests and trees and to expand forest coverage.
It was revealed that countries are likely to face more risks ahead due to natural disasters and climate change. Therefore,it is necessary to develop prpar edness plans systematically to reduce the damage caused by extreme weather conditions to crops and buildings. Moreover, measures must be taken to issue natural disaster warnings to rural residents in real time and to speed up social protection programs for vulnerable groups.
Fuel prices have risen in the entire world due to global geopolitical tensions and ongoing conflicts. Resulting higher commodity prices, interest rate hikes and volatile exchange rates have increased the amount of debts, leading to the depreciation of the local currency. As a consequence, some countries have faced hardships like shortages of food and fuel.
Therefore, one of the national objectives of the government is to achieve prosperity of the country and security of food, water and basic needs. Instructions have been issued to reduce the consumption of fuel and to effectively utilize energy. It is necessary to follow the instructions and to ensure the compliance of the instructions. As imports and use of electric vehicles have been introduced as a pilot project, concerted efforts must be made for the long term implementation and development of the project. Only then, can the consumption of fuel be reduced and a carbon-free environment be achieved. Measures must be taken to generate electricity to its full potentials, to complete power generation projects under construction as soon as possible, to comprehensively implement small-scale hydropower projects in respective areas and to reduce electricity consumption while efforts are being made to launch solar and wind power projects, high-tech coal-fired power plant projects and nuclear power plant projects.
In developing and implementing such projects, it is necessary to monitor their progress, targeted completion and spending properly. Emphasis must be placed on enabling the public to enjoy their benefits as soon as possible.
Further efforts must be made to take practical actions to achieve the tasks being carried out by the government, which has been serving the national interests, and every action must be taken by considering long-term durability. Every action must be taken in accordance with rules and regulations effectively and documented properly.
It is learnt that the national project for the fiscal year 2023-2024 to be presented today will be implemented linked with the Five-point Roadmap and 12 Objectives of the State. It is to make efforts to meet the set targets in implementation of projects through regular re-
views from time to time. Matters needed to be adjusted are to be done timely. Special consideration must be given more to ensure strong reports.
Through constant efforts of review and analysis on implementation of the set projects, the nation’s economic growth could exceed the growth in the pre-pandemic period. Therefore, to meet the goals, all need to work together in accordance with the policies and guidelines laid down by the State.
Then, the Vice Chairman of the Commission Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win deli-vered an address saying it is seen that the national project to be approved for the fiscal year 2023-2024 at the meeting is drawn with the aim of ensuring prosperity of the nation and food security and long-term people-centered development.
It is necessary to focus on timely completion of tasks, spending equivalent to the volume of tasks done, and completion of the tasks being taken. As the spending for the project is from the limited State Fund, it is necessary to give attention on ensuring effective spending, meeting quality in the tasks and achieving good results from the project.
All are urged to work together to ensure development of manufacturing industry and services and more investments from the private sector.Next, Union Minister for Planning and Finance U Win Shein, Vice Chairman of the Commission and deputy prime minister, briefed on the state of implementing the national project for the fiscal year of 2022 and 2023 and the national project (draft) for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Then, Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance Daw Than Than Lin, secretary of the Commission, presented the national project (draft) for the fiscal year of 2023-2024.
Afterwards, Union Auditor-General U Tin Oo presented review and suggestion on the points found in records of the previous fiscal year and measures to be checked and audited in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.Regarding the reports, the Prime Minister said it is learned that the set targets were not met in the 2022-2023 fiscal year. I have approved disbursement of Ks-400 billion from the State economic development fund to regions and states and self-administered zones. Mainly, the money was disbursed with the aim of ensuring economic development of local people and establishment of agricultural businesses of sunflower, Mung bean and summer paddy that recover the money from the investment in a short time. It is necessary to find ways to meet the target despite different situations in the said regions. It is necessary to practically achieve success in implementing the goals and truly ensure the development.
Then, the Senior General gave concluding remarks saying that we have to review the state of implementing the project for the fiscal year of 2022-2023 and thoroughly assess and scrutinize matters to be prepared for more effective implementation of the national project in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
It is necessary to finish carrying out the tasks. If not due to various reasons, it is to systematically present the balance of funds back at the end of the fiscal year. In the coming year, it is necessary to request the volume of funds with a plan in balance of the tasks to be taken. It is to focus on carrying out the project tasks with the approach to ensure advantage on commercial basis and public interest. Before enacting the law, it is to complete the tasks to be done and motoring measures are to be strong during the implementation of the project tasks as well.
In encouraging crop cultivation and production on a regional basis for development of agriculture and livestock farming businesses, it is to focus on meeting the targets and ensuring food security in the regions.
The surest sectors to boost the economy are the already rooted agriculture and livestock commodity production industries. With the full use of local raw materials, it is to work with research and technology departments to ensure production of finished products. If there is a narrow gap between develop-
ment of urban and rural areas with the creation of job opportunities, there will be less in number of migrant workers from rural area to urban area as well as in that of migrant workers who illegally go abroad.
In carrying out tasks for development of infrastructure sectors such as transport and communication, water availability, education, health and electricity, efforts must be made. Efforts are to be made to ensure balance in revenue and expenditure of the State-run enterprises. It is to properly and effectively spend on implementation of any project and have correct analysis and assessment for
full capacity of operation works. It is to achieve prosperity for the nation through successful implementation of people-centered tasks and those for State economic development.
When the national project (draft) for the fiscal year of 2023-2024 has been enacted as a law, it is necessary to ensure success in implementing the tasks mentioned in the draft in accordance with the set ways. Exposing weaknesses and advantages in implementation of the national project in the present fiscal year, I like to urge all of you to make more efforts for economic development of the nation.