News Bulletin Issue (31) Thursday, 1St June 2017

State and Region Parliaments News Bulletin Issue (31) _ Thursday, 1st June 2017

Photo: Myanmar Now Yangon Parliament to Review Park Lands Rental

26th May 2017 ney General Daw Khin Than Hla to the Daw Kyi Pyar added that the parlia- Yangon parliament, since the park ment would urge the government to The Yangon Region Government is lands rental fees are very low, the gov- tackle the contracts and would oversee losing large amounts of money in the ernment is losing a lot of money. In ad- the government’s accountability. current rental fees of 996 shops in its dition, some companies do not follow “The current government should parks, and the Public Budget Commit- the terms and conditions in the con- negotiate with the business owners, tee of the Yangon Hluttaw will review tracts and some businesses were hand- and reach new agreement,’ she added. contracts and negotiate with business ed over without tender bids. U Htay Aung, who is a former YCDC owners. In the case of the 80-acre land in the committee member said YCDC was the According to the Auditor General People’s Park near the Shwe Dagon Pa- responsible body for renting park 2015-2016 report, the Government is goda, the Natural World Company is lands, but the committee only acted losing nearly K57,000 millions annual- renting the per square for K6 for 25 upon the regional government’ orders. ly. U Tint Lwin, who is the chairperson years, starting from 2011. According to “The YCDC prepared the contract of the Public Budget Committee said the report, the government is losing when the regional government asked. It the reason lies in the contracts, which K14,281 millions annually for the was the same with the People’s Park, are signed under unreasonable terms. agreement. which was rented out on order of the “The contracts do not make any In the case of the Mya Kyun Thar former Yangon Chief Minister. sense. The purpose of having a contract park land rented to 8 companies, the U Htay Aung continued that since is to be fair and just. These contracts per square foot rental is K25, which the rental fees were very low, they face are not fair from the beginning. So what could cause losses of about K21625 is the point of having those contracts?” millions annually for the government. who were in close relations with the he said. businessopposition owners by the when government trying to officials obtain urged the parliament to review the con- reasonable rental rates. Rental and loss tracts,The said Attorney Daw Kyi General Pyar, a Yangon Office hasRe- (Ref: Phyo Thiha Cho/Myanmar Now, 7 Day According to the report by the Attor- gion MP. Daily)

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Kayah State Politicians Reflect on Limited Public Engagement

11th May 2017 raise these questions, only the Hluttaw He encouraged the ministers to go representatives know the details about out and meet with the public before Kayah State MPs and politicians say their constituents, but the government creating policy. the local government only listen to gov- U Luu Kyi, the joint secretary of the ernment departments and has so far Kayah Unity Democracy Party (KUDP), said failed to engage with the public. Theofficials responses and the they ministers give to don’t our knowques- that MPs can act upon the public’s request tionsbecause are they not don’tsatisfactory do any fieldfor us.surveys. They only when the central allows. Due to the investigations to understand what their only know how to read out the answers centralization and limited engagement votersMPs need. have been conducting with field given by their department heads,” said with the pubic, the government is relatively “MPs raise questions in the Hluttaw U Aung Naing Oo, a Hluttaw representa- weak in meeting the public’s needs. tive from Mese Constituency 1. (Ref: www.kantarawaddytimes.org) about the public’s difficulties. When we Illegal Gold Mining near Tarlay Stream to Be Questioned at Shan State Parliament

23rd May 2017

Illegal gold mining along the Tarlay Stream near Tarlay, Tarchileik, Shan State will be addressed at the parliamentary session which will commence on 6th June, said U Khin Maung Tint, a representative of Tarchileik. “There are about 100 mines along the Tarlay Stream, including migrants from all over the country and Pyithu Sit (People's Mi- litias). The streaam will be depleted soon due to tailing disposal. How the issue will be addressed? Should the miners be allowed under rules and regulations?” Since 2010, there have been a lot of mining activities including those by the Chinese citizens in the mountains near Tarlay and along the stream, followed by the tailing dis- charge into the stream. The locals also apply for farm land, but later are involved in gold mining, according to the MPs. (Ref: The Voice Daily)

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Photo News Short News A meeting for the Museums and Li- braries draft law, which will be passed by the Magway Region HLuttaw, was held at the Township Department of In- formation on 25th May. Magway Hlut- taw Bill Committee members, the Dep- uty Township Administrator, the

- cerTownship of the LegalDepartment Officer, of the Information Assistant andTownship interested Education individuals Officer, attended Staff Offi the meeting.

(Ref: https://www.facebook.com/ayehlaing. oo.1/ posts/1906555452896234)

The Second Kayin State Hluttaw published a newsletter (Issue 2/ No. 5) which describes the activities of the fourth regular session and disseminate it the libraries under the Department of Information. The newsletter is also available on the Kayin State Hluttaw’s Facebook Page.

(Ref: https://www.facebook.com/kayinstate. hluttaw/posts/432080583834001)

On 22nd May, the Sagaing Hluttaw MPs, the Department of Roads, the Depart- The Kachin State Hluttaw will hold ment of Planning and the Municipal Body members held a meeting for road its seventh regular session on 29th May, and bridges construction in Sagaing Township by the Department of Roads in the Elderly draft law and the Service In- dustry draft law will be discussed. (Ref: Daw Su Myat Htet’s Facebook - Sagaing Region Hluttaw MP) 2017-2018 fiscal year. (Ref: Bill Committee of Kachin State Hluttaw)

Companies with Bad Quality Work to Be Listed by Magway Hluttaw

15th May 2017 make a list of companies that did not do MPs, the Speaker and the MPs will meet a good work. It is part of the parliament with those companies. The Magway Hluttaw Speaker has check-and-balance process. Based on According to U Zaw Myo Win, The ordered the MPs to review companies what the MPs submit, we will work Construction and Transportation Com- that were responsible for projects in with the regional government. Espe- mittee of the Magway Region Hluttaw their respective constituencies in 2016- cially, the parliamentary committees will also submit a report on the perfor- 2017, and on 19th May 2017, to submit a will review and submit suggestions to mances of the companies during the list of companies that failed to meet the the government,” said the Deputy quality. Speaker U Zaw Myo Win. which will be held in June. “We ordered MPs to review and Once the list is submitted by the (Ref:fifth Myintmakha regular Media) parliamentary session

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Photo News

The Bill Committee of the Bago Region Parliament held a meeting to amend the Fresh Water Fisheries Law from 23rd to 26th May. (Ref: Bago Region Hluttaw Facebook Page)

Ayeyarwady Region Government, Parliament and Party Met for the Hluttaw Held a Meeting Development of Yangon Region for Inclusive “Fresh 28th May 2017

Water Fisheries Law” The Yangon regional government, the CEC members of the NLD and regional parliamentarians held at a meeting 22nd May 2017 to discuss development projects in Yangon Region at the NLD headquarter in Bahan, Yangon on 28th May. On 26th 27th April, The Bill Committee of the Ayeyarwady Re- Misunderstanding among the three pillars (Govern- gion Hluttaw held a joint-meeting with the Agriculture, Irrigation ment, Hluttaw and the party) will be addressed through and Natural Resource Committee; the Myanmar Center to Em- the meeting, said U Win Htein. power Regional Parliaments (MCERP); Network Activities Group - (NAG) and the Pyoe Pin Programmme for the “Fresh Water Fish- gion, but will not be the last. eries Law.” Such meeting was held for the first time in Yangon Re The joint-meeting was led by MCERP and, the attendees dis- hope to work with the regional government more collab- cussed what to include and exclude in articles of the Fresh Water oratively," “We are said reviewing U Myint Htay, our first-yearthe Yangon activities Regional and Chair we- Fisheries draft law, submitted by the government to the parlia- person of the NLD. ment. Then the MPs reviewed and approved articles by articles. Meetings of the three pillars have been held in other The draft law will be discussed and passed at the upcoming sixth States and Regions as well, except in Rakhine and Kayin regular session. States, according to the CEC members. (Ref: MCERP) (Ref: The Voice Daily)