The bottom line process along with eternal peace is to develop the Myanmar economy most quickly. The second wish of the people is for our nation to develop with strong economy. In the time of our government, reform measures are being taken for macro-economy by laying down short- and long-term projects so that a market economic system suitable to the nation’s prevailing conditions can emerge clearly.
When
the global economy is still instable, when our nation has not had the
economic sanctions lifted and when our domestic businesses have not been
strong enough with lack of competitiveness, we have had to prioritize
the prompt issuance of work business licenses and export/import licenses
with a view to enabling our citizens to do business easily and
conveniently.
We
relaxed export-related taxes. The new exchange rate of foreign
currencies has been set temporarily according to the outside market
situation. At the same time, plans are under way to adopt a durable and
strong foreign exchange rate that will do no harm to our citizens in
cooperation and coordination with local and foreign experts as well as
international monetary organizations.
In
wiping out barriers to the administrative mechanism so as to reduce
unnecessary costs and expenditures, we have given permission to export
rice freely and taken measures to significantly reduce prices of fuels,
telephones and cars. Similarly, we are taking steps to reduce
transactional costs.
As regards the matter of mobile phones, which
is the most interesting issue among the people, we will seek best ways
and means to fulfil the wishes of the people. We are making plans to
amend and pass laws for the proper evolution of market economy.
In order to reduce transport charges in the long run, we will take action to reduce car prices in
parallel with those of the international community. While encouraging
the promotion of the private sector in economy, we are conducting
institutional reforms for capacity-building of state-owned businesses.
Changes
and reforms are also taking place in collaboration with international
organizations for the flourishing of capital market and financial market
as well as for the emergence of conglomerates. In addition, we are
encouraging private banks to be economically strong, and light and
medium industries to acquire capital and technologies. We will make our
continued efforts to reduce the monopolization of public services and to
make sure every citizen has the right to enjoy those services.
We
are taking measures with care and consideration to ensure that
privatization is not in the hands of only a handful of people and that
there are no inequality and no barrier to capacity-building.
For
the emergence of transparent and predictable firms, we are adopting
projects that can facilitate business transactions and promote
competency. We are indeed promoting the role of private sector seeking
valuable advice and suggestions from local and foreign experts in the
economic field.
The
national development strategy of our government is not aimed at
developing a class or a community but aimed at developing every aspect
of all walks of life, all classes or all the people of the Myanmar
polity. We are doing so not only to develop our GDP but also to improve
the people’s living standards, the public services like education,
health and security and to make sure that the natural environment is not
affected by development.
While
trying to increase the population of middle class that plays a key role
in national development, we are creating a sound economic environment
by inviting technical know-how, capital investment, expertise and
management at home and abroad in order to improve per capita income of
the grassroots, create more job opportunities and develop the whole
national economic structure in various sectors such as agriculture,
industry and service.
Mr Speaker,
All
the dignitaries including me, the two vice-presidents, Tatmadaw
leaders, union ministers, state/region chief ministers, state/region
government members and those responsible for legislative and judicial
pillars have a sense of oneness to serve the best interests of the
nation and the people.
We
have also known that we are facing various criticisms from various
places. We have heard some rumours with negative attitude. As said by
some others, our government is not divided into a hard-line camp and soft-line camp.
Apart
from different aspects of management depending on gene, habit and
character of individuals, we are all doing our best with confidence
adhering to the policy of our government. At a time when we are in
transition to a new era and new system and we are developing the whole
society of Myanmar into a democratic one, it is important for the
government to be strong.
The
government shouldering the duty of transition needs to take reform
measures step by step in a united and stable manner. So, we need to make
sure that the road to our reform process is strong and subtle. Now, we
are trying to reduce unnecessary procedures of our cabinet meetings and
waste of time as little as possible so as to promote the interests of
our nation and people.
Government
ministries and organizations and state/region governments are to put
all their energy into providing public services for the people’s
satisfaction and happiness by trying not to waste time holding series of
meetings. The corruption rooted in successive eras as a national
challenge had been conceived through eras and systems.
In
this time of system change, we are taking educative measures and
persuasion, giving warnings and take action with all possible approaches
to morality, conviction, ethics, worksite welfare, monitoring, law,
principle and procedures.
The
restructuring of the administrative mechanism down to ward/village
level calls for firm rules and laws that can remove the thorns of
successive eras. With the system change and era alongside subtle work
plans, corruption and bribery will die down.
Thus,
we are taking time to restructure our administrative mechanism. We will
try to increase salaries and allowances at a right time depending on
our macro-economic situations such as our current financial situation,
foreign debts and deficits.
Since taking office, our government members did not accept high salaries and have been taking the same salary rates of the previous government.
When
our nation still has class disparity, widening rich-poor gap and low
per capita income, I would like to say that we, civil servants, need to
shoulder our duties with goodwill and patience in order to fully provide
public services and reduce the burden of extra costs and expenditures.
As
the number of service personnel accounts for only 3.3 percent of the
nation’s total population, we have to consider the 96.7% of the
population who are just ordinary wage earners. Now that there are
discussions of pay rises, commodity prices have skyrocketed suddenly.
As
our civil servants can enjoy better living conditions due to increased
salaries, the 58 million of people who are not government employees will
face the consequences for sure. As we are not in a position to
prioritize our own mechanism alone, we will have to take all-round
consideration in taking steps to increase salaries and allowances.
Since
taking office, our government has been putting on the priority list the
people from rural areas and in the agricultural field. As this duty is
easier said than done, we are trying with a new approach to government
private cooperation.
Despite
knowing that it is not easy to fight poverty quickly in a short time,
we are striving to reduce poverty rate of our nation from 26% to 16% in
2015 and remove our nation from the list of least-developed countries in
accord with the MDG of the UN with the help of local and international
private organizations, NGOs and INGOs so that our needy people can live
with dignity through assistance, job opportunities and health and social
security benefits.
For the health care of those needy people, we are planning to adopt a universal health insurance system in
collaboration with private organizations. In order to create jobs
outside the agriculture sector, we are taking measures to develop more
industries relying on regional conditions by including industrial
planning in the national development projects. In those projects, we are
trying to include the future development of our young national people
who will be reunited according to our national reconsolidation process.
In
increasing taxes necessarily in the short term, we are taking measures
with care and consideration in order not to affect the people’s
socio-economy whilst we are acting with good governance so as to mend
defects and weaknesses of the State.
But
in the long term, we will try to pass a new tax law that can not only
guarantee equality and fairness but also cause no burden to our low
income people. And that new law will make all the citizens including the President pay taxes.
Industrial
zones are being established across the nation to create more job
opportunities. Moreover, our government is planning to make sure that local and foreign investments flow rapidly to the country and to firmly protect those investments.
While
building a democratic society, we need to reform our political and
economic processes at the same time. We are also striving for harmonious
development of human resources, an essential prerequisite for emergence
of a democratic society and development of national economy.
For
reforming educational institutions like universities and schools,
reform measures are being taken not only for school curriculums and
syllabuses but for management sector in accord with the new system.
Although
every college and university will be under the control of the ministry
concerned, plans will be made for them to operate under their self
control one day. Every basic education school must have its own library.
Similarly, all colleges and universities need to have online libraries
connected to accredited international universities in addition to their traditional libraries.
Our government, which is doing the job based on knowledge oriented economy, has to constantly promote the quality of our teachers and schools with
the help of international universities. We are also setting up Internet
networks and telecommunication networks so as to wipe out our digital
divide in this age of technology and knowledge.
For
national development, we have earmarked money to increase spending of
the health sector by fourfold and that of the education sector by
twofold in the coming financial year. With subtle reformation process
plus increased State fund, we will encourage more development of human resources.
In
the time of our government, new policies have been adopted to
substitute natural resource extraction-based foreign investment with
manufacturing-based foreign investment and we are seeking assistance
from local and foreign technicians and experts.
While
trying to build strong macro-economy, we are laying down short- and
long-term projects that are filled with basic infrastructures, human
resources, skilled workforce, high technology, environmental
conservation, legal organizational structure, competent economic area
and improved private participation.
Our
government is shouldering three major duties – nation’s transition,
building of a new nation and improvement of the whole Myanmar society.
Our government is striving for national development with three basic
policies that is to say our national development must be
environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
In doing so, we have opened the door to investment and assistance from inside and outside of the country.
Investment
and assistance of one dollar in Myanmar by the international community
amounts to contribution of one dollar for the flourishing of democracy
and the interests of Myanmar people.
So,
the international community is urged to extend a helping hand to
Myanmar with in-depth understandings of actual conditions so that our
country with democracy still in its infancy will not collapse.
(Speech of Myanmar President U Thein Sein)
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