The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Chief Minister Proposes Youth Committee to Address Rangoon’s Challenges
- Border Guard Police Under Investigation for Keeping Methamphetamines
- Lawmakers Press Govt on Tax Reform
- ‘No Project Enjoys Special Privileges’: Deputy Minister of National Planning and Finance
- Burma Removes Hundreds of Names from Blacklist
- Hospital Upgrades Planned
- New Food Delivery System for Refugee Camps on Thai Border
| Chief Minister Proposes Youth Committee to Address Rangoon’s Challenges Posted: 28 Jul 2016 06:19 AM PDT  Students ask questions during a Q and A segment of a talk by Rangoon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein at the National Management Degree College on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Photo: Moe Myint) RANGOON — To solve current challenges in the commercial capital, the Rangoon divisional government will form a coordination committee with young entrepreneurs, said Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein. Phyo Min Thein visited his alma mater, the National Management Degree College, on Wednesday afternoon and convened a two-hour meeting with students. He said that the first meeting with young businesspeople will take place on August 14, but did not mention a location for the event. Once the committee is successfully formed, the Rangoon divisional government will supervise it. Committee members, Phyo Min Thein said, should have practical experience in the business sector and extensive knowledge of economics. The chief minister admitted that the regional government is unable to solve every problem in Rangoon, identifying some of the most pressing issues as traffic congestion, growing squatter communities and poor rail transport. "The Rangoon divisional government is formed of nine ministers, but to solve all these problems with just nine people is not possible," said Phyo Min Thein "We will share these duties with the younger generation, especially those who have practical business experience and knowledge. We will invite them to take on duties [depending on] how they can serve." He continued, describing Rangoon as an attractive place for foreign business prospects, pointing out that while investors are interested in pursuing projects in the city, many complain of delayed trade flow and high daily expenses due to a lack of road infrastructure.  Students are pictured during a talk by Rangoon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein at the National Management Degree College on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Photo: Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy) "The logistical cost is about 30 percent of the goods' value," he said of the high price of road transport. Originally, the Rangoon divisional government decided to construct a new highway on the outskirts of the city, connecting the Hanthawaddy International Airport in Pegu Division—currently under construction—with Rangoon's Thilawa Special Economic Zone. Now, the new government is also looking to upgrade water transport and rail options. Phyo Min Thein said that better utilizing inland water transport could serve as a cheaper alternative to roads. To accelerate the country's economy, the chief minister said that special economic zones could play an important role, even though the private industrial projects are accompanied by several challenges, including hosting a growing number of squatters who migrate to Rangoon seeking work. With comparably more infrastructure than many other states and divisions in Burma, job opportunities are perceived as more plentiful in the commercial capital. Yet housing in Rangoon is limited and can be expensive, leading many workers to set up makeshift shelters near factories where they work. "This is the right time to change current situation," Phyo Min Thein said. "To relocate these people systematically, we will coordinate with the youth to solve this," he continued, referring again to the young entrepreneurs' committee, adding that he hoped their coordinated action would make it possible for those now living as squatters to "become valuable human beings." The post Chief Minister Proposes Youth Committee to Address Rangoon's Challenges appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Border Guard Police Under Investigation for Keeping Methamphetamines Posted: 28 Jul 2016 06:08 AM PDT  The entrance sign to Maungdaw Township. (Photo: Narinjara) Seven border guard policemen from a post on the Burma-Bangladesh border in Arakan State's Maungdaw Township are under investigation for not turning over nearly 300,000 yaba pills, or methamphetamines. Among the seven detainees is the head of the border police post. Acting on a tip, a team of police led by Lt Col Tint Zaw Oo, head of the Maungdaw Township Border Guard Police Force No. 2, made the arrest on Tuesday, according to a local police officer. The officer confirmed the drug seizure and the detention of seven border guard policemen who are currently under investigation. According to the officer, the methamphetamines were buried under the police post's mess hall. Almost 300,000 pink-colored pills were seized, worth an estimated US$500,000. The officer added that during the investigation, Lance Corporal Maung Maung Lay, head of the local border police post, said that he and two of his subordinates brought a bag stuffed with pills back to their post after finding it on the nearby Maungdaw-Angu Maw highway. It remains unclear why the drugs were found buried under the mess hall. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Border Guard Police Under Investigation for Keeping Methamphetamines appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Lawmakers Press Govt on Tax Reform Posted: 28 Jul 2016 05:27 AM PDT  Stacks of Burmese kyat await counting in Rangoon. (Photo: Jpaing / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — Lawmakers at the Union Parliament have pushed the government to reform the tax system, so as to plug shortfalls—in income, commercial, customs, telecoms, and oil and gas tax revenue—and allocate the tax burden more fairly. There were calls from several lawmakers to initiate a more progressive tax system, both at an individual level—with significantly higher rates for higher earners—and at a geographic level—with poorer states and regions given tax breaks and allowances. At a parliamentary session on Thursday, which included both houses, Lower House lawmaker Thet Thet Khine of Rangoon's Dagon Township mentioned that Burma had the lowest tax base among Asean countries. She suggested that the government "consider collecting more tax from higher income people" and enforce greater compliance. Thet Thet Khine also encouraged the government to consider implementing different tax rates in different states and divisions of Burma, considering that some, such as Chin State, are considerably underdeveloped compared to others, such as Rangoon Division. Upper House lawmaker Myat Nyar Na Soe said that, although the government had hit their overall tax collection target over the last fiscal year, ending in April, it was more important to increase tax revenue as a ratio of the country's wealth. He recommended a recalibration of commercial tax rates: products harmful to public health such as tobacco and alcohol should be taxed more—as well as "natural resource-based" products such as oil, gas, gems and jade—while "locally manufactured goods" should be taxed less with an eye to increasing exports. Myat Nyar Na Soe added that taking the lead of other countries with more transparent tax systems, the government should clearly outline the rates for different taxpayers at least a year before any tax is due, and aim to keep these rates stable, allowing individuals and businesses to plan accordingly. According to the government's latest tax report, targets for income, commercial, customs, telecoms, and oil and gas tax revenue were not reached in the 2015-16 fiscal year. Lower House Lawmaker Khin San Hlaing, representing Pale Township in Sagaing Division, said the government should clearly explain why. She added that the government should move away from a reliance on tax revenue derived from natural resource extraction and significantly expand the tax base, because these natural resources would be "gone one day." In recent years, as a means of encouraging tax compliance among the population, the Ministry of National Planning and Finance has been publishing instructions on paying tax in state-run newspapers, as well as lists of "top taxpayers." Maung Maung Win, deputy minister of National Planning and Finance, said in the parliamentary session that revenue targets for 11 tax categories had been reached during the 2015-16 fiscal year, while targets for seven other tax categories had been missed. He said, "Although income tax revenue for the first six months was higher than in the last six months of last [fiscal] year, total income tax revenue fell below the target by a small amount"—netting 2.327 trillion kyats (US$1.97 billion) against a target of 2.335 billion kyats ($1.976 billion). He attributed the failure to meet the income tax target to a tax exemption scheme on property sales approved in 2014—property tax being included in Burma under "income tax," among six other categories. Tax revenue from the oil and gas sector netted 259.2 billion kyats ($219 million) during the 2015-16 fiscal year, significantly less than the 495.3 billion kyats ($419 million) netted during the 2014-15 fiscal year. The dip was attributed to the dramatic global drop in oil prices as well as new regulations from the Myanmar Investment Commission. The post Lawmakers Press Govt on Tax Reform appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| ‘No Project Enjoys Special Privileges’: Deputy Minister of National Planning and Finance Posted: 28 Jul 2016 05:05 AM PDT  Deputy Minister Maung Maung Win pictured during an interview with The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Photo: Kyaw Hsu Mon / The Irrawaddy) Recently, there has been a lot of criticism over the failures of the new government to make considerable changes in the economic sector, as well as the stagnation of businesses during the first three months of its term. Amidst such criticisms, what has the ministry done successfully? It is difficult for a ministry to adopt new policies and make progress quickly. However, some tasks were completed during the first 100 days, and there are also some tasks to be continued after these 100 days. Tasks to be carried out within the period were announced in newspapers and they were implemented accordingly. As two ministries were merged, the number of departments has increased. Many of them are departments that have to deal with the public, and we will continue working to fulfill the public's needs. Are there problems caused by the merging the two ministries and their staff members? The main problem is the lack of time available. There is only one minister for the two ministries. It is very difficult to manage time as there are daily reports, and reports from other departments and meetings. The minister also has to deal with foreign guests and travel abroad, as this is important. As other functions are run by respective departments, there is no problem there. Has recent budget allocation caused any headache for the ministry? There are complaints over budgets in Burma's states and regions. How is the ministry handling these complaints? Budgets are allocated in line with the [2008] Constitution. States and regions are allowed to collect some taxes according to the law and add the tax money into its fund and spend it. Similarly, the Union government will also do the same with taxes it is allowed to collect by law. Although there was only one budget in the past, at present, we have the Union budget as well as state and regional budgets. So there are Union funds and state and regional funds. Under Section 230 [of the Constitution], the Union budget has to provide funds if states and regions do not have enough. Moreover, the Union government can also provide funds for special projects or issue low-interest loans to state and regional governments. This means that the Union government is responsible for providing funds when they need it and determines how much will be provided to each state or region. We study how other countries are handling such issues. Everything has to be taken into consideration so that the budget is allocated without bias and in a fair manner. How do you know how much to give to each state or region? No matter how much they ask for, we provide them with what they should receive. It seems that Yangon [Division] receives only a small budget but it has collected a large sum from taxes, which the regional government can spend. The Union government also provides funds to the region. Chin State also receives a small budget. The Union government provides them with what it should receive. They can work for development. States and regions that are underdeveloped have to try to make progress like the others. Developed ones can do more. The Union government wants to provide more funds to them. It has been trying to allocate budgets in a fair manner, as well as it can. The Rangoon Chief Minister said that he found it difficult to do what he wanted for the region due to an insufficient budget. How would you respond to that? As I have just said, the Union government does not consider the region alone. It has to take all 14 states and regions into consideration. Others also have things they want to do for their states or regions. They also need development as much as Yangon [Division] does. As Yangon receives more money from taxes, it is necessary for the regional government to decide which projects should be prioritized based on its earnings. Although the Union government wants to provide more funds to everyone, it cannot afford to do that. First priority is given to what is most important, and second priorities are something that cannot be done because there are just not enough funds. It was said during a parliamentary session that there are differences in tax collection. How does the ministry manage this? Tax collection varies year by year. In budgets, there are 18 types of tax with their own targets. The targets depend on the amount collected in the previous year. It is also necessary to estimate the amount for the upcoming year. According to the upcoming year's tax law, tax rates and exemptions are set. Based on these, the relevant departments estimate the targets. Some targets are met while others are not; this is a phenomenon that occurs every year. Therefore, 11 tax items went beyond their targets while seven failed to meet their targets during the 2015-16 fiscal year. During the term of the previous government, special projects required approval by the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development. There were accusations that those who were close to the government got approvals easily. How will the current government grant approvals without bias? How is the ministry handling this issue? This will be done in accordance with the planning law. There are planning laws for each year. The Union government as well as state and regional governments have their own responsibilities, known as the sectoral and the regional plans. Sectoral plans are implemented by the Union government, while regional plans are materialized by state or regional governments. There are also township plans. There is no project that enjoys special privileges. These are the issues that should be settled at the planning commission. The post 'No Project Enjoys Special Privileges': Deputy Minister of National Planning and Finance appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Burma Removes Hundreds of Names from Blacklist Posted: 28 Jul 2016 03:43 AM PDT  Myanmar nationals hold up their passports outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Singapore in 2008 as they waited for their turn to vote in the country’s constitutional referendum. (Photo: Vivek Prakash / REUTERS) RANGOON — The names of some 600 foreign and Burmese nationals were removed from Burma's blacklist, the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. A move that was pledged by Union minister Thein Swe as part of his ministry's 100-day plan, led to the removal of 607 names—more than 200 Burmese and 300 foreigners—from the blacklist, according to the ministry. The recent list of names constitutes only about 7.5 percent of a previously existing blacklist of more than 8,000, and according to local newspaper 7Day Daily's report on Monday, the recent list excluded those who were wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). The ministry's department of immigration and population told The Irrawaddy that the ministry has handed the list over to other concerned ministries, such as home affairs and foreign affairs, and it would continue to remove the names of those who "serve for the good merit of the country." The department refused to provide further details regarding the list of removals. Burma's then-ruling military junta and quasi-civilian government previously blacklisted people who were deemed political threats to the country's stability and national security. Former President Thein Sein's administration removed more than 2,000 names from a blacklist of more than 6,000 in 2012—a year into his quasi-civilian rule. The names included many exiled pro-democracy activists, foreign journalists and political critics. Actress Michelle Yeoh, who played the role of Burma's then opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the film The Lady; Suu Kyi's two sons; and Benedict Rogers, author of the book "Unmasking Burma's Tyrant"—the biography of military dictator Than Shwe, were also removed. Dr. Sein Win, former chairman of Burma's "government in exile"; Aung Din of the US Campaign for Burma; Zipporah Sein, secretary of the Karen National Union; Dr. Cynthia Maung, founder and director of the Mae Tao Clinic; Bo Kyi, Tate Naing and other members of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP); Aung Moe Zaw of the Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS); and Moe Thee Zun and Dr. Naing Aung, former leaders of the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), an armed group formed in the wake of the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 1988, were also removed from the list during Thein Sein's administration. Despite the reforms, some names were added again to the blacklist by the former government, according to Aung Moe Zaw of the DPNS. Although he is optimistic about the moves undertaken by the current government—led by the President Htin Kyaw and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi—he said the government should welcome all exiled activists back during this critical period, when they can contribute to the country's democratic transition. "The government should remove all names of those who were put on the blacklist due to their political or dissident beliefs, unconditionally," he told The Irrawaddy. Nearly 60 representatives from some 40 civil society organizations (CSOs) based on Burma's borders sent an open letter to State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday, requesting the disclosure of the names of activists who remain on the blacklist and that necessary guidelines be set to restore their original citizenship and allow them to take part in the country's transition process. Thwel Zin Toe, a steering committee member of the Women's League of Burma, one of the signatory CSOs, said in the letter that the activists could support and strengthen the national reconciliation process, peace building and the transition to democracy. The department of immigration and population said that those who want to restore their original citizenship must abandon any other current citizenship first because Burma doesn't allow dual-citizenship. The post Burma Removes Hundreds of Names from Blacklist appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Posted: 28 Jul 2016 02:17 AM PDT  A 550-bed children's hospital in Mandalay. (Photo: Poe Sanchaung / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — Burma's new five-year plan for the health sector includes upgrading all 25-bed hospitals across the country into 50-bed ones, according to Dr. Myint Htwe, minister of health. The minister announced the plan in response to lawmakers' questions in Parliament's Lower House on Tuesday about hospital upgrades, rural dispensaries and insufficient medical staff. "We plan to upgrade all 25-bed hospitals into 50-bed facilities and employ 2,000 new doctors within two months," he told Parliament. However, the minister did not specify a timeline for the upgrades. Lawmakers stated that even the 25-bed hospitals currently lack sufficient beds and staff. "In my township, the '25-bed' hospital is supposed to have four doctors according to the standard organizational structure. But, it only has 16 beds and two doctors. Employees are overstretched. Most locals are 'grassroots people' and can't afford to go to special clinics," said Aye Naing, a Lower House lawmaker representing Rangoon's South Dagon Township, who also proposed building a 100-bed hospital in his constituency. According to the health minister, the previous government had monitored the rate of hospitalization at government-run hospitals and found it to have gradually increased between 2011 and 2015. The proposed bed upgrades will also mean a workforce increase from 55 to 156 employees at each facility. Myint Htwe explained that the ministry will not go further and upgrade the 25-bed hospitals into 100-bed ones because the smaller hospitals receive only about 13 inpatients and 49 outpatients each day on average. He added that the public does not often complain about the lack of beds, but more often about a shortage of doctors. The minister said the 50-bed hospitals will include pathology, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatric, osteoporosis, emergency, dental and anesthetic units and his ministry will ensure they are accessible to all. On Tuesday and Wednesday, 12 lawmakers seconded the proposal submitted in the Lower House by Dr. A Zin Latt, which urged the health ministry to expand the public health department. The minister noted the discussion and Parliament decided to monitor department works. According to the Ministry of Health, there are a total of 1,190 hospitals in Burma as of February 2016. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Hospital Upgrades Planned appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| New Food Delivery System for Refugee Camps on Thai Border Posted: 28 Jul 2016 01:44 AM PDT  Ethnic Karen refugees in Tham Hin camp, Ratchaburi province in 2006. (Photo: Reuters) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — A collective of humanitarian agencies, The Border Consortium (TBC), will introduce a new system of food provision, using electronic cards, at the end of this month for Burmese refugees living on Thai-Burma border. While it is currently common for refugees to queue for hours to receive food rations at designated stores at certain times, the new scheme envisages refugees being able to shop for food at their own chosen time, using cards pre-loaded with credit. With one card to be issued per household, the amount of credit will vary according to household size. Small shops selling a range of goods can already be found within and nearby the refugee camps along the border. Under the scheme, shopkeepers would be given electronic devices, allowing them to receive credit from the new cards. Saw Tu Tu, a spokesperson for the Karen Refugee Committee's branch office in Mae Sariang, northern Thailand spoke to The Irrawaddy, commending the new system for providing for greater convenience for refugees. "They can buy meat, fish, eggs, vegetables or whatever they want within the credit limit. It is an improvement because people won't need to queue for a long time to receive food rations," said Saw Tu Tu. He said the card system would first be implemented in two refugee camps—Nu Po in Tak Province and Tham Hin in Ratchaburi Province—from the end of this month, before being rolled out to the other refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border in 2017. Both shoppers and sellers will be trained in using the cards. The cards, which will be disbursed to all heads of household, will be red in color and feature the logos of TBC, the Karen Refugee Committee and the Karenni Refugee Committee, who are all involved in the provision of basic needs to refugees along the Thai-Burma border. Saw Tuu Tu also believed that the card system would save the annual cost of transporting stockpiles of food and other supply rations and preserving them in stores within the camps over long periods. There are currently nine camps along Thai-Burma border hosting over 120,000 refugees from Burma. Refugees have formally received rations of rice, cooking oil, salt, beans and fish paste at certain scheduled times. Under the new card system, some basic supplies, including charcoal, would be still delivered via the old system. TBC comprises 10 international non-governmental organizations from eight, mostly European, countries, and has been providing food, shelter and other services for refugees escaping conflict in Burma since 1984. The post New Food Delivery System for Refugee Camps on Thai Border appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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