He said he has submitted a draft to planning and finance minister U Kyaw Win for review, but did not want to reveal details. “Minister-level senior officials are going to discuss the policy and for now the information is confidential,” he said.
Broadly, the ministry will make the tax structure more transparent and direct revenue toward priority areas such as health, education and infrastructure, he said. It will also aim to allocate the budget more effectively, rather than reducing spending.
He said the ministry also plans to switch from a manual to a computerised system this year. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
July 25, 2016
Qatar Charity brings relief to needy families in Myanmar
Qatar Charity has provided a new batch of food aid to people displaced in camps in Myanmar as part of its ongoing aid relief efforts since the end of 2013.
The organisation said in a press statement yesterday that 5,568 people have benefited from this programme, bringing the total number of beneficiaries of Qatar Charity’s relief in these camps to 198,564 people over almost three years. (Courtesy of gulf-times.com)
The organisation said in a press statement yesterday that 5,568 people have benefited from this programme, bringing the total number of beneficiaries of Qatar Charity’s relief in these camps to 198,564 people over almost three years. (Courtesy of gulf-times.com)
US approves $21m assistance to Myanmar
The United States will provide an additional US$21 million (Bt730 million) in assistance to Myanmar, to promote economic growth and capacity building for long-term development in the country.
The initiative will support the government's goal of tripling exports in five years; strengthen the ability of the government and the legal system to provide accountable and transparent oversight; and help modernise the agriculture sector which will be the driver of employment over the next 10 years, said Ben Rhodes, US deputy national security adviser.
Rhodes was on his fifth visit to Myanmar last week. (Courtesy of nationmultimedia.com)
The initiative will support the government's goal of tripling exports in five years; strengthen the ability of the government and the legal system to provide accountable and transparent oversight; and help modernise the agriculture sector which will be the driver of employment over the next 10 years, said Ben Rhodes, US deputy national security adviser.
Rhodes was on his fifth visit to Myanmar last week. (Courtesy of nationmultimedia.com)
ANP Alleges Govt ‘Wrongly’ Issued Citizenship in Arakan State
The Arakan National Party (ANP) and several Arakanese legal experts held a press conference on Sunday alleging that Burma’s previous government had wrongly issued citizenship documents to over 1,000 Muslims in Arakan State’s Myebon Township.
The Arakanese political and legal representatives say that the 97 individuals issued Citizenship Scrutiny Cards—or “pink cards,” which denote full citizenship—and 917 people granted naturalized citizenship, received these statuses in violation of Burma’s controversial 1982 Citizenship Law. (Courtesy of irrawaddy.com)
The Arakanese political and legal representatives say that the 97 individuals issued Citizenship Scrutiny Cards—or “pink cards,” which denote full citizenship—and 917 people granted naturalized citizenship, received these statuses in violation of Burma’s controversial 1982 Citizenship Law. (Courtesy of irrawaddy.com)
The case of French aid worker Moussa Tchantchuing
Kamdem Tchantchuing was taking his mother's car to a mechanic in Paris when he received a phone call from his brother Georges. Their younger brother, Moussa Tchantchuing, had been arrested in Bangladesh, where he frequently travels as a humanitarian working with Rohingya refugees in the region.
"I thought it was impossible," said Kamdem, 31. "I had just spoken to [Moussa] two days before and he was fine."
Watch: Nowhere To Go
But social media posts by the NGO Moussa worked for, Barakacity, confirmed the arrest. News began to spread that the Bangladeshi authorities were investigating Moussa over alleged links to "terrorism". (Courtesy of aljazeera.com)
"I thought it was impossible," said Kamdem, 31. "I had just spoken to [Moussa] two days before and he was fine."
Watch: Nowhere To Go
But social media posts by the NGO Moussa worked for, Barakacity, confirmed the arrest. News began to spread that the Bangladeshi authorities were investigating Moussa over alleged links to "terrorism". (Courtesy of aljazeera.com)
The Lady and the Generals
It takes two to tango, say Burma-watchers trying to make sense of the relationship burgeoning between the new government and the armed forces. This last week, some intriguing gestures have passed between the two.
On July 19—Burma’s Martyrs’ Day, commemorating the assassination of independence hero Aung San and eight of his colleagues in 1947—Commander-in-Chief Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing became the first armed forces commander in decades to take part in the annual ceremony at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum in Rangoon. This is bound to become protocol for Min Aung Hlaing’s successors. (Courtesy of irrawaddy.com)
On July 19—Burma’s Martyrs’ Day, commemorating the assassination of independence hero Aung San and eight of his colleagues in 1947—Commander-in-Chief Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing became the first armed forces commander in decades to take part in the annual ceremony at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum in Rangoon. This is bound to become protocol for Min Aung Hlaing’s successors. (Courtesy of irrawaddy.com)
Burma: U.S. embassy apologizes over ‘bomb scare’
AFTER triggering a bomb scare in the Burmese (Myanmar) capital of Yangon, the United States embassy in the country has apologized over a tear gas training exercise incident which prompted emergency services to be dispatched to the scene.
The embassy made the public apology after a tear gas grenade exploded Sunday night during a security exercise, sending fumes out onto the street and sparking rumors of a bomb.
The embassy said in a statement Monday that no one was injured in the incident and that its operations were continuing normally. (Courtesy of asiancorrespondent.com)
The embassy made the public apology after a tear gas grenade exploded Sunday night during a security exercise, sending fumes out onto the street and sparking rumors of a bomb.
The embassy said in a statement Monday that no one was injured in the incident and that its operations were continuing normally. (Courtesy of asiancorrespondent.com)
Peace advocates rally support for Panglong
The demonstrators held signs with pictures of peace activists and famous writers, including Thakin Kodaw Hmaing and U Thant.
“All the citizens are longing for peace and they want the wars to stop immediately so they are supporting the 21st-century Panglong Conference,” said U Myat Kyaw, the spokesperson for the demonstrators. “We want to show the government, the hluttaw, the Tatmadaw, the ethnic groups and also the international organisations that we support peace.”
The demonstrators also collected signatures from participants and from those in the park who want to support the peace process. More than 360 signatures were collected during the event, which ended at about 11:30am, said Daw Linkar Thit, a volunteer from Tarmwe township. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
“All the citizens are longing for peace and they want the wars to stop immediately so they are supporting the 21st-century Panglong Conference,” said U Myat Kyaw, the spokesperson for the demonstrators. “We want to show the government, the hluttaw, the Tatmadaw, the ethnic groups and also the international organisations that we support peace.”
The demonstrators also collected signatures from participants and from those in the park who want to support the peace process. More than 360 signatures were collected during the event, which ended at about 11:30am, said Daw Linkar Thit, a volunteer from Tarmwe township. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
Despite NLD's rise, activists still under surveillance
PROMINENT activist Ko Tin Htut Paing, who was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment in 2009 and released under a presidential amnesty in 2012, might have had reason to believe there would be greater freedom under the National League for Democracy government.
On the evening of June 15 this year, he received a phone call from a man claiming to work for Yangon-based media group Mizzima. The man wanted to know about some workers on trial whom Tin Htut Paing was helping.
“Because I had some doubts about who had called me, I contacted some acquaintances from Mizzima and asked about him. They told me that there was no person by that name at their organisation,” said Tin Htut Paing, leader of the civil society group Generation Youth. He believes the call came from someone in the government who was trying to get information about his movements or those of the workers. (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
On the evening of June 15 this year, he received a phone call from a man claiming to work for Yangon-based media group Mizzima. The man wanted to know about some workers on trial whom Tin Htut Paing was helping.
“Because I had some doubts about who had called me, I contacted some acquaintances from Mizzima and asked about him. They told me that there was no person by that name at their organisation,” said Tin Htut Paing, leader of the civil society group Generation Youth. He believes the call came from someone in the government who was trying to get information about his movements or those of the workers. (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
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