(1) National entrepreneurs urged to do large-scale farming and build agro-based industries and take lead in market economy in future
YANGON, 26 Jan - Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe addressed Tatmadaw members and families of Pathein Station in Ayeyawady Hall of South-West Command in Pathein Township, Ayeyawady Division, at 8 am yesterday.
Guidance given by Senior General Than Shwe during tour of 16 townships in Yangon, Ayeyawady Divisions
Agriculture should be based in building the nation as the nation has vast land resources and agriculture has been carried out since the time of forefathers.
Agricultural, industrial and trade sectors should be developed mainly in building the nation, Due to the conditions of the nation which lacks in technology and capital, agriculture which has good foundations must be the basis.
National entrepreneurs who have the capital, management skill, techniques and know-how should be encouraged in taming wetlands, vacant, virgin and fallow lands to do agriculture on commercial scale.
The agricultural sector will advance significantly and the countryside which is the home to farmers will develop only with the emergence of modern private farms stretching thousands of acres.
More nationals should emerge as entrepreneurs who do agriculture on the vast lands; so should other national entrepreneurs; entrepreneurs should be those who can lead the market economy and those of international standards; they must not be just compradores of foreign entrepreneurs.
While serving their own interests, national entrepreneurs would have to serve the interests of the State and the national people; they need to have goodwill toward the country and spirit of patriotism.
The Government with true goodwill is helping and promoting nationals, who are living on this soil and partaking of water from the same source, to do well in their enterprises.
Entrepreneurs who have come to engage in agricultural production are regarded as colleagues who have come to cooperate with the Government of the State within the framework of the plan of the State.
While strenuous efforts are being made to achieve success in agriculture production, the goal to set up agro-based industries, and from there, to build other industries as well must be laid down.
As the population of the country will be about 60 million in 2010, arrangements are to be made to be able to cultivate monsoon paddy on 14 million acres of land and summer paddy on four million acres of land with a view to providing sufficient food for the growing population.
Efforts are to be made to boost the production of paddy, the main crop, as well as to extend the cultivation of oil crops with a view to achieving domestic sufficiency in oil.
Efforts are to be made with the objective of achieving 100 basket-per-acre yield of paddy and 15-basket-per-acre yield of sesame.
According to the region, sown acreage is to be extended year by year, and only when success is achieved in growing multiple-crop will the living standard of farmers be higher.
With respect to extension of summer paddy cultivation in Ayeyawady Division, it is necessary to inspect again the areas benefited by Paddy-l Project and Paddy-2 Project and to make arrangements for extension of more such areas.
Efforts are to be made to turn Ayeyawady Division into the division which can produce not only paddy but also beans and pulses most in future.
Private entrepreneurs are to be encouraged to participate in extending cultivation works of rubber and oil palm in Taninthayi Division.
National entrepreneurs are to be invited to extensively engage and invest in the fisheries and meat sector as in the agricultural sector, and to undertake fish and prawn breeding works on commercial scale.
The Government, the people and the Tatmadaw must cooperate in building the State.
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(2) Pakokku U Ohn Pe Literary Award Trust Fund Supervisory Committee meets
YANGON, 26 Jan - Pakokku U Ohn Pe Literary Award Trust Fund Supervisory Committee held its meeting at the Ministry of Information on Bo Aung Kyaw Street this afternoon.
Present on the occasion were Chairman of Pakokku U Ohn Pe Literary Award Trust Fund Supervisory Committee Deputy Minister for Information Brig-Gen Aung Thein, Pakokku U Ohn Pe, retired Managing Director of Myanma Motion Picture Enterprise U Maung Maung Khin, Managing Director of Printing and Publishing Enterprise U Than Maung and members of Pakokku U Ohn Pe Literary Award Trust Fund Supervisory Committee and Scholar ship Selection Committee.
Brig-Gen Aung Thein discussed ensuring smooth work and accounts, interest, number of prizes and expenditure, presenting two awards for life-long contribution to literature instead of one according to the wish of U Ohn Pe and thanked respective departments that rendered assistance to recent excursion of prize winners.
Secretary of the Committee Director (News) of NPE U Hla Tun reported on resolutions of the previous meeting and work done.
Account statement was then submitted for approval.
The meeting ended with the concluding remarks by the deputy minister.
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(3) Customs Department observes Customs Day
YANGON, 26 Jan - The Customs Department of the Ministry of Finance and Revenue observed Customs Day in the hall of the training school of the department this morning.
Present were Minister for Finance and Revenue U Khin Maung Thein, Minister for Immigration and Population U Saw Tun, Governor of the Central Bank of the Union of Myanmar U Kyaw Kyaw Maung, Director-General of the Customs Department U Tun Chun, directors-general and managing directors of the ministry and employees of the Customs Department.
In his address, Minister U Khin Maung Thein said Customs Day is observed in 147 member nations of the World Customs Organization today; as a member of the World Customs Organization, Myanmar also held a ceremony to observe the Customs Day.
The Customs Department is striving to exceed the target set in accord with the fiscal year, thereby contributing to efforts for building a modern and developed nation, the goal of the State.
Myanmar is also a member nation of the World Trade Organization as well as of the ASEAN, and so, arrangements are to be made to be in line with standards and rules and regulations with respect to international trade; moreover, efforts are to be exerted to exceed the target set by the State.
Director-General U Tun Chun presented awards to two Yebala medal recipient employee, one employee who got promoted, 57 employees who won commendation certificates and 14 employees who were outstanding at various courses.
Deputy Director-General Thiha Thura U Thein Tun Tin gave away prizes to outstanding children of employees including four children who won distinctions at higher institution level examination and 25 at basic education high school examination.
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(4) Chief Medical Officer inspects hospitals
YANGON, 26 Jan - Chief Medical Officer Dr Daw Khin Win Shwe of the Ministry of Industry-2 inspected hospitals, dispensaries and day care centres under Myanma Machine Tool and Electrical Industries on 24 January.
Accompanied by officials, she visited the hospitals, dispensaries and centres of No 1 Farm Machinery Factory, No 1 Machine Tool Factory and No 2 Automobile Factory.
General managers of the respective factories, factory doctors and officials of Maternal and Child Welfare Associations of the factories explained to her points about the facilities.
Dr Daw Khin Win Shwe gave suggestions.
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(5) 171 members resign from Yinmabin Township NLD
YANGON, 26 Jan - One hundred and seventy-one members resigned from the National League for Democracy of Yinmabin Township, Sagaing Division.
One hundred and seventy-one members of Yinmabin Township NLD, Sagaing Division, of their own volition, tendered their resignations by sending letters of resignation to Yinmabin Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission Office and the party concerned on 30 December 1998 as they no longer wished to participate in party politics of NLD.
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(6) New Digital auto telephone exchange of MPR inaugurated in Insein Township
YANGON, 26 Jan - A new digital auto telephone exchange of Myanma Posts and Telecommunication was inaugurated at the MPT office near Insein Overpass in Insein Township this morning.
Present on the occasion were Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs Brig-Gen Win Tin, Minister for Information Maj-Gen Kyi Aung, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Mr Liang Dong, Director of Signals Brig-Gen Aung Myint, departmental officials, Chairmen of Yangon North District and Insein Township Peace and Development Councils and members, personnel of companies, Managing Director of MPT U Maung Maung Tin, foreign correspondents, officials of Shanghai Bell Telephone Equipment Manufacturing Co Ltd, band troupe and pom pom dance troupe members of Basic Education High School No 2 in Sangyoung and guests.
Managing Director of MPT U Maung Maung Tin said the 3,000 line digital exchange, S-12 SPC Digital Switching Equipment, was presented by the government of the People's Republic of China during the Deputy Premier Mr Wu Bang Go's visit to Myanmar. It is also a gift in honour of Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe's visit to Shanghai Bell Telephone Equipment Manufacturing Co Ltd on 11 January 1996.
Arrangements are being made for launching of CDMA mobile telephone system in Yangon and Mandalay and installation of Internet Service Provider.
Vice-President of Shanghai Bell Telephone Equipment Manufacturing Co Ltd Mr Yuan Xin extended greetings.
Mr Yuan Xin handed over related documents to Managing Director U Maung Maung Tin, Minister Brig-Gen Win Tin presented gifts to Mr Yuan Xin, Ambassador Mr Liang Dong, General Representative Mr Liu Peng Cheng.
Mr Yuan Xin also presented gifts to the minister and officials.
The minister and Mr Yuan Xin formally opened the exchange.
The minister and party inspected the auto exchange.
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(7) Shwedagon Pagoda's Htidaw Renovation Exhibition continues
YANGON, 26 Jan - The Shwedagon Pagoda's Htidaw Renovation Exhibition continued at Chanthagyi Tazaung on the platform of the pagoda today.
The exhibition was crowded with members of the Sangha, devotees and tourists who paid obeisance to it and donated cash and jewellery.
Donations by the public have amounted to 4,639 items of jewellery weighing 5,865.8 grams, 17.30 viss of gold, K 30,059,426, 122 FECs, US $ 10, Singapore $ 22, six Chinese Yuans and 300 Thai Bahts from 20 January to this evening.
The exhibition will continue till 28 February.
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YANGON, 26 Jan - The "Myanmar Today" Vol 2 No 1, four-monthly issue, published by Ministry of Information, compiled by Information and Public Relations Department and printed by Printing and Publishing Enterprise is in circulation.
The features include excerpts of guidance at concluding ceremony of Union Solidarity and Development Association Special Refresher Course No 3 and Executives' Management Course No 15 given by Senior General Than Shwe, the 6th ASEAN Summit, Exhibition '98-To Revitalize and Foster Patriotic Spirit, the inauguration ceremony of Bala Min Htin Bridge, foreigners who distribute anti-government leaflets, mass meeting expressing people's sentiments in Chin State, prize-presentation for Myanma Motion Picture Awards for 1997 and so on with colour photographs.
The copy is on sale at Sarpay Beikman Bookshop on Merchant Street, the News and Periodicals Enterprise Bookshop, IPRD Head Office and District/Township IPRD offices beginning today.
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(9) Taninthayi Township NLD dissolved
YANGON, 26 Jan - All the Executive Committee members of Taninthayi Township National League for Democracy, Taninthayi Division, tendered their resignations and dissolved the Township NLD of their own volition on 18 January 1999.
Taninthayi Township NLD was first formed on 29 October 1998 with 8 EC members. The 5 remaining EC members of the Township NLD and 42 ordinary members, totaling 47, resigned from the party membership of their own volition since they no longer wished to continue to take part in NLD's party politics. They notified the office of Taninthayi Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission and the chairman of the party concerned.
On 18 January, personnel of the township NLD dissolved it.
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(10) Hluttaw representative-elect U Thein Han permitted to resign
YANGON, 26 Jan - The Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission today permitted U Thein Han of the National League for Democracy, Pyithu Hluttaw representative elected in the Multiparty Democracy General Election from Padaung Township Constituency-2 in Bago Division. To resign as Hluttaw representative elect.
It said he was permitted to resign in accordance with Section 11(e) of the Pyithu Hluttaw Election Law.
The commission said he submitted of his own volition and that he be permitted
to resign because of his health.