Service personnel and their efforts should be recognized through a carrot and stick system depending on their performances, says Senior General

During the surging of COVID-19, Myanmar implemented the five-point consensus of the ASEAN amid various difficulties, said Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the meeting 3/2021 of the Union government at the office of the SAC Chairman in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon.
Myanmar emphasizes agriculture and livestock production. Policies were adopted to implement the rural-based development tasks as 70 per cent of the total population reside in the rural areas.
The country gains deserved development due to the government’s encouragement to increase manufacturing of products in the outbreak of COVID-19. It was reviewed that the economic status of the country started a decline in the term of the previous government as of 2018 in addition to impacts of COVID-19. Emphasis was placed on the reduction of the infection rate of the pandemic, so the government could not turn to some sectors.
During the surging of COVID-19, Myanmar implemented the five-point consensus of the ASEAN amid various difficulties. As prices of goods are still high, the government restricts the high prices of imported goods. According to the report of the 2020-2021 financial year, the import volume was less than that of 2019-2020FY. Import goods were oil products, palm oil, auto parts, medicines, mobile handsets and communication devices, fertilizers and tractors.
It is necessary to resurge manufacturing at home to be able to substitute the imported products. If the country saves the use of fuel oil, the amount for spending the foreign exchange will decline and the trade surplus will increase. The Senior General highlighted the salient points of reduction of fuel consumption, use of electricity, generating hydropower, and implementation of public transport projects. He urged relevant ministries to adequately irrigate the farmlands.
Encouragement must be given to industries to manufacture domestic products and electric automobiles at home for the State interests.
It is necessary to promote the health standard of the citizens. Efforts must be made to adequately manufacture the medicines based on traditional medicines and antibiotic medicines. There are 1,177 hospitals across the nation. Medical universities have turned out more than 57,000 medical professionals from 1995 to 2020. But, some of them only serve the duty of the State. It can be seen some station hospitals do not have medical doctors. As health staff only provide healthcare services to the citizens, it is necessary to arrange public healthcare services with full strength.
Teachers, students, parents and relevant administration organs need to join hands for ensuring the secure learning of the students. A plan is underway to reopen the universities in the near future.
As regards infection of the COVID-19 and learning of students, the Senior General said, “The latest information shows 523,346 infected persons in our country. A total of 498,748 persons were recovered and 19,121 persons were dead. The infection rate hits about two per cent. The infection rate stays between 300 and 500 patients. Whatever it may be, it is acceptable per cent of infection in our country. But, we should not be satisfied with it. I saw breaking news that the Omicron variant emerges and two patients were found with such virus in India yesterday.
Omicron spreads in Asian countries. Its infection rate is very high and severe. So, we should not be careless. We open the schools where children are attending. We cannot accept the infection to harm their learning. We have to arrange for them to attend the schools healthily until they completed the examinations in March. They have to attend the schools healthily and safely and education staff should be healthy as well. So, we have to take special care of their conditions. Learning will not be complete immediately. It is a situation to take care of them for the long term. Hence, relevant ministries and region and state governments should emphasize the healthcare measures for the education sector.”
So far, 29,214,980 doses of vaccines have received till 2 December. Among them, 12,048,005 people were vaccinated two times and 5,118,970 once. One million units of vaccines donated by and purchased from Russia will arrive in Myanmar this month. A plan was set to inoculate 50 per cent of the total population this year. Now, vaccines were given to some 300,000 people per day. Efforts should be made for increasing the vaccinated numbers.
The Senior General urged all to develop agriculture and livestock tasks and to prevent flooding in coming years. Efforts should be made for shaping the cities of regions and states to be green cities and clean cities.
Officials need to supervise systematic levying of commercial tax at the border areas. Relevant departments need to eye on the full collection of taxes and expose those who commit malpractice in the tax collection. And, relevant ministries need to help the Immigration and Population Ministry for the soonest issuance of citizenship scrutiny cards to the people.
Union ministers sought approvals from the Senior General for reports of their respective sectors.
In his concluding remarks, the Senior General stressed the need to set restricted policies for easing some measures for appointment of service personnel under the long term plan so as to enhance human resources for the improvement of their capacity. Service personnel and their efforts should be recognized through a carrot and stick system depending on their performances.
Not only relevant administrative bodies but the region and state governments need to supervise the State-owned and private banks for their services. State-owned enterprises are being operated through PPP and BOT systems for serving the State interests.— MNA