Union Government Meeting No. 3/2023: SAC Chairman Prime Minister addresses the meeting

Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing addressed the Union Government Meeting No. 3/2023 at the SAC Chairman office in Nay Pyi Taw on Thursday.

In his address, the Prime Minister said that the State Administration Council has amended and adopted 5-point Road Map after taking the state responsibilities for two years and extending the emergency period by 6 months. The important point in the future work program is eemphasis will be placed on achieving enduring peace for the entire nation for the security of social economic life of the people.

The final work program is upon accomplishing the provisions of the state of emergency, free and fair multiparty democratic elections will be held in line with the 2008 Constitution, and further work will be undertaken to hand over State duties to the winning party in accordance with democratic standards. Moreover, measures will be undertaken for ensuring rule of law and peace and stability. Due to violence from 2021 to 2022, innocent people, civil servants and religious members were killed and injured.

Therefore, as there still needs to continue the emergency situation, it has been clarified to extend the emergency period. There were 489 terrorist bombings and 782 deaths up to 11 July this year.It was found that even though the terrorist acts have decreased, the incidents continue to happen. The incidents of violence were happened the worst in Sagaing region, Chin and Kayah States. That’s why, it needs to carry out more public security than before. During the time of taking security measure, some police force members were dead.

Cyclone Mokha that struck on 14 May caused damages worth about 522 billion kyats. For rehabilitation tasks and renovation of damages, the government and people spend a lot of money. Due to undertaking of preparation measures in advance, the number of casualties was the least but the losses and damages were huge. To overcome natural disasters, it needs to make preparations a lot. The Prime Minister added that in serving for the state economic development, the country's economy has recovered in 2021-2022 fiscal year and the economic growth has increased to 3.2 percent in the 2022-2023 fiscal year according to released information.

Without the nation income, the country's construction work, the national development tasks and the country's stability and peace cannot be carried out. Regarding the export of goods, beans and pulses, rice and agricultural, aquatic products and livestock products could be exported more than before. In producing goods, it is necessary to meet the domestic demand as well as to produce products that can be exported abroad. For boosting the State’s economy, it needs to carry out development of agriculture and livestock industries than present.Regarding manufacturing, the price of goods increased in 2022 and 2023.

The high cost of production is the imbalance of production and consumption. In order to solve that, it needs to fully operate the factories. If agricultural exports and products can be exported more, more foreign income will be earned and the state economy will increase. The Prime Minister called on the relevant ministries and region and state Chief Ministers to systematically supervise on meeting the target yield, promoting mixed cropping rates and operating the machines at full capacity.

Regarding the livestock sector, the Senior General called for systematic breeding and breeding extension. It will also be necessary to study the modern agricultural and breeding methods used internationally and work to improve the country's agricultural and breeding activities. If there is a balance between consumption and production, there will be reasonable prices. All should not be satisfied with the production of sufficient amount within the regions and states where they live, they should look at the whole country and the government should calculate it.

Regarding the cooking oil sector, there is no sufficiency in the country and it needs import every year. It will be necessary to improve the yield of oil crops. The use of agricultural land in other ways needs to be strictly monitored and maintained in accordance with the law, the Senior General added. And, the union minsters made reports on respective sectors. In his response, the Senior General called on concerned officials to establish more livestock science schools in Tanintharyi Region, Mon State and Rakhine State.

Regarding the education sector, the Senior General stressed that it is necessary to make relevant efforts for all students to be able to fully attend school and to increase the percentage of grade transitions. To ensure the safety of the schools and teachers, it is necessary for the relevant ministry to arrange the necessary arrangements.

He also stressed that officials must carry out strict scrutiny to ensure that there is no abuse in the use of expenditures by ministries. He also called for efforts for successful rehabilitation in the storm ‘MOCHA’-hit areas. If the agricultural and breeding activities can be carried out with full force and the products can be improved, the country will get more income and also meet the demand of foreign income to a certain extent, the Senior General added.