Myanmar vice president stresses reform

YANGON - Myanmar Vice President Dr. Sai Mauk Kham has stressed that reform, a combination of national plan and physical development plan, needs to be people-centered development reform in order to satisfy the demand of the people, official media the New Light of Myanmar reported Monday.

Regarding unfriendly relations between the public and the administration down to grassroot level, public administration reform is also needed, Sai told a cabinet meeting held at the President's Office in Nay Pyi Taw Sunday, coordinating on reform strategy and investment outlined by President U Thein Sein two days earlier.

Relating to investment and trade sector that could enhance the country's economy significantly, Sai urged the ministers, region or state chief minister and chairmen of self-administered divisions or zones to ensure laws, rules and regulations are applicable as in the foreign countries, to make sure that they are firm after being practically laid down, to act in the interest of the entire people rather than a handful of people and to have transparency and be flexible with sustainablilty.

"Although there are offer from world nations, the country is still in no position to accept the offer but it should grasp the opportunities. Draft project as to reform process is to be submitted by the end of this month. Policies and supervision should be on the agenda of the reform campaign," Sai stressed.

He warned of the decrease to a certain extent of the capacity of a ministry for mistakenly employing unskilled and inexperienced staff, calling for holding entrance examination for the candidates for appointment.

As to the handling of foreign currency, Sai insisted that unnecessary control of it should be lifted.

"If the reform process has something to do with the constitution, contact is to be made with the Hlattaw (parliament), " he outlined, saying that "Reform, to be undertaken by the ministries or the government, cannot be difficult if it can be made under the authority of the president."  

Underlining that the prospect of the hotel and tourism sector is encouraging, Sai called for attention to hotels which are neat, secure, reasonable rather than big hotels since there are not only moneyed tourists but also backpackers, complaining that the hotel room charge is now unreasonably increasing to 200-300 U.S. dollars from 40 dollars in the past.

Myanmar President U Thein Sein, on last Friday's cabinet meeting, signaled that the country is entering into a "second-step strategic reform", calling for more effectively carrying out national and regional development tasks in the reform process of  ministry-wise and sector-wise for national development.