OAGU, MOEE, MOBA hold press briefing in Nay Pyi Taw

June 09, 2020

 

The Office of Auditor General of the Union, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, and the Ministry of Border Affairs held press briefings on their fourth-year performances yesterday.

At the press conference held at the Ministry of Information in Nay Pyi Taw, Deputy Minister for Information U Aung Hla Tun first delivered the opening speech. He said the incumbent government began working for national development starting from the day they assumed office on 30 March 2016.

The Deputy Minister said they have shared the performances of the Union Government transparently through the media for their first 100 days, first year, second year, and third year. He said they have also recently published the fourth-year performance of the Union Government that took place in March.

The Deputy Minister then explained that the press conference only began on this date due to COVID-19 and will be held for 9 days with 3 Union-level institutions and ministries covered each day. He said the fourth year performances of the Union Government will be compiled and published into a logbook as in previous years. He concluded his speech by requesting members of the media to maintain their media ethics and ensure the performances of the government is disseminated to the public truthfully and transparently.

Office of the Auditor General of the Union

Auditor General of the Union U Maw Than initiated the press conference and explained his institution’s performances. He said they have changed the organizational structure of the Office of the Auditor General of the Union (OAGU) to make full use of modern information technology in their line of work. He said they currently review 190 government departments at the headquarters level, 2,256 at the state/regional level, 3,010 at the district level, and 10,136 at the township level.

U Maw Than said they worked in line with Section 11-(o) of the Auditor General of the Union Law to review the national budget from April to September 2018 and submit it to the President and the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on 28 August 2019. He said they worked in line with Section-(o) of the same law and Section 10 of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Development Fund Law to review the accounts of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Development Fund for 2018-2019 financial year and submitting them to the President and Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.

U Maw Than said that the number of ministry projects funded by loans or as financial assistance from foreign nations and international organizations are increasing each year and the UAG Office reviews them upon the request of the Union ministries. He said they reviewed 47 projects in the government’s fourth year in accord with Section 11-(j) of the Auditor-General of the Union Law.

U Maw Than said upon the request of the Ministry of Planning, Finance and Industry during the government’s 4th year, they reviewed Myanmar’s 5th EITI report and the EITI templates of the 10 departments and Myanma Gems Emporium Central Committee under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation for the forestry sector reports of 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 financial years, 2 departments under the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, 4 departments under the Ministry of Planning, Finance and Industry, and a department under the Ministry of Commerce.

U Maw Than said they have issued 257 notes commenting on the financial management of Union Ministries in the fourth year, an increase from previous years. He said they have notified regional auditor offices to review the budget used to distribute the five kinds of basic commodities across Nay Pyi Taw Council and the states and regions as directed by the National Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19. He said they are beginning reviews in Nay Pyi Taw Council, Sagaing Region and Taninthayi Region as they have received coordination letters from the relevant government.

The OAGU drew the Human Resource Plan for 2019-2021 to upgrade its own human resource, is currently drafting the Human Resource Policy, and will work on the Human Resource Strategy and Competency Framework in the near future, said U Maw Than.

He said the training school in Nay Pyi Taw has opened courses in beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of accountancy and office proficiency for staff of government ministries and institutions and they are working to open these courses in the state/regional auditor offices as well.

U Maw Than said the Myanmar Accountancy Council has opened the first and second programmes of the Certified Public Accountant course in Yangon training school and the first and second programmes of the diploma accountant course in Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon simultaneously.

He said they are continuing collaboration with ASEAN Supreme Audit Insitutions (ASEANSAI), Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and the European Union as part of the international cooperation sector.

U Maw Than said they will continue to work to strengthen the public finance management system and for long-term sustainability to ensure national budgets are utilized for the benefit of the public.

Next, Permanent Secretary Daw Naing Thet Oo replied to questions posed by the media on economic reviews of the state and regional government in the fourth year, difficulties faced and any unique cases, and directives to conduct private audits in line with financial rules and regulations.

 

She explained that the Auditor General of the Union and state/regional auditors-general can review contracts related to national land, water and air resources, systems, and joint-ventures related to the government. She said a private audit who offers public services is hired to review the joint-ventures of an economic nature between the private sector and government departments and the authority to hire them is exercised by the Union Auditor-General.

Daw Naing Thet Oo said the private accountant has to submit their findings to the OAGU who offers comments, suggestions and amendments to ensure there is no waste of funds and proper adherence to directives.

This was followed by Auditor General of the Union U Maw Than and Daw Naing Thet Oo responding to other questions from domestic and foreign news agencies concerning the OAGU performance in the fourth year of the incumbent government.

 

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Permanent Secretary U Tin Maung Oo explains the fourth-year performances of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy. Photo: MNA

 

Ministry of Electricity and Energy

 

Permanent Secretary U Tin Maung Oo explained the fourth-year performances of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy. He talked about step-by-step nationwide electrification to complete in 2030.

The country’s power generations were 6,034 MW in 2019-2020 FY, including 3,262 MW from hydro power (54 per cent), 2,469 MW from natural gas (41 per cent), 120 MW from coal (2 per cent), 116MW from diesel (2 per cent) and 40 MW from solar energy (1 per cent).

From April 2016 to April 2020, three hydropower plants generated 45.6 MW , 8 thermo-power plants 927 MW, one solar plant 40 MW, totalling 1,012.6 MW., and could sell out 80,345.645 million units during this period.

Power distribution is carried out through 418 national grid lines with the length of 9,521 miles for 424 sub-stations in 15,848 MVA. A total of 25,414 mile power lines and 17,773.2 MVA were constructed between April 2016 and April 2020.

The number of towns with electricity has increased from 448 in March 2016 to 489 in April 2020, villages increased from 30,383 to 36,220 in the same period, households increased 3,675,742 (34 per cent of the country) to 5,804,869 (53.3 per cent) in April 2020.

The ministry also electrified to 5,134 households of villages in Kachin state, 13,434 in Kayin state and 13,829 in Rakhine state.

A 170 MW renewable energy power plant project was set up in Minbu (Saku) Township of Magway Region, and the first phase of 40 MW was completed in June 2019 for power distribution.

The Energy Storage System was used to supply powers in Manaung Township which is an island in Rakhine State.

The Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC) managed the street lights which were formerly operated by the Yangon City Development Committee. From March 2016 to April 2020, 14,671 street lamps were replaced on 276.1 miles at the cost of K6.771 billion. The Mandalay City Development Committee also upgraded the street lights along the City Moat, with spending K241.166 million in the same period.

The sales of electricity in respective FYs were 15,355 million units in 2016-2017 FY, 17,115 million unit in 2017-2018 FY, 19,294 million unit in 2018-2019 FY and 11,108 million units FY up to April 2020.

Laws on energy, oil and its products could be adopted in four years, license orders for testing qualities fr oil and petroleum projects could be issued, 53 blocks of inland projects and 51 offshore projects could be explored.

The Total E&P Myanmar (France) Company which stared in 1998 is now producing 790 million cubic ft of natural gas from its Yadana Project (M5 and M6), Yedagon project (M12, M13 and M 14) of the Petronas Carigali Myanmar (Malaysia) which started in 2010 is producing 60 million cubic ft; Shwe Project (A1 and A3) of the Posco Dawwoo Cooperation which began in 2013 is producing 345 million cubic ft of natural gas and Zawtika project (M9) of PTTEP (Thailand) which began in 2014 is producing 345 million cubic ft of natural gas.

The production of crude oil in four years were 4,297,377 US standard barrels, 396,668 barrels, 3,356,795 barrels and 3,168,751 barrels from 2016-2017 to 2018-2019.

Natural gas production in respective years were 670,008 million cubic ft, 667,583 million cubic ft, 627,007 million cubic ft and 670,362 million cubic ft in the same period.

New pipelines were also constructed.

In the refinery sector, 33.323 tonnes of LPG, 104,761.169 gallon of gasoline, 104,158.515 gallons of diesel, 50,555. 209 gallons of CGO, 13,503.215 gallon of jet oil and 434.241 tonnes of fertilizer.

The 85.9 per cent of natural gas were used for electricity generation, 5.3 per cent of CNG production, 4 per cent for fertilizer, 0.6 per cent for LPG, 0.6 per cent of factories, 0.6 per cent for refinery and 3.4 per cent for other business.

A total of 26,970 vehicles were changed into CNG fuelled vehicles and over 23 million cubic ft of inland natural gas are sold for the vehicles every day.

Board of Directors member of YESC U Aung Kyaw Oo replied to the media questions about online bill payment for electricity for the whole country.

MoEE officials also answered the questions about technologies to be used in the 7 new projects, including the LNG to Power, to produce 1,166 MW electricity, rules and regulations, landing of LNG vessels to Yangon port for LNG to Power project, the percent of resources from water, coal and solar for power distribution and the long term plan, measures to reduce power loss, status for the formation of National Electricity Commission, revenue from electricity and calculation for each unit of electricity.

 

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Deputy Permanent Secretary U Sai Tun Nyo explains the fourth-year performances of the Ministry of Border Affairs. Photo: MNA

 

Ministry of Border Affairs

 

Deputy Permanent Secretary U Sai Tun Nyo from the Ministry of Border Affairs explained the two major tasks of the ministry for socioeconomic development at the border areas by promoting infrastructural sector and the human resource development of youth at the remote areas. The development programmes are aimed for over 19 million of people in 30,000 villages from 167 township of 7 states, 2 regions and 6 self-administered areas, reaching 37.87 per cent of the country’s total population.

The ministry also constructed road upgrades including 230 miles and 3 furlong of earth road and widening 39 miles and 3 furlong of road, 5 miles and 3 furlong of concrete road and 155 miles of renovation in the fourth year.

One water collecting tank, 310 brick tank and 23 miles 6 furlong of power line, 179 sets of solar light and 277 low-cost houses were implemented in the same period.

Especially, the ministry is constructing 65/4 mile Magweza-Khaunglanpu in Putao District of Kachin State beginning 2017-2018 F, and 33 mile 6 furlong road section has been completed in 2018-2019 FY. In the fourth year, 43 miles 2 furlong has been constructed in the fourth year, promoting transportation efficiency on this road.

The 63-mile road project in the fur-flung areas in Putao District in northernmost Kachin State passed through icy Khakaborazi, and the construction of 15 miles began in 2018-2019 FY, and the 8- mile section has been completed in that period, and the construction of another 7-mile is underway in the 2019-2020 FY.

The ministry is also carrying out anti-narcotic drug efforts through pilot projects of management units for substituted developments, and they are led by the Deputy Minister in coordination with the relevant ministries. The projects includes road construction and electrification in the areas of Pa’O Self-Administered Zone.

The ministry is also focusing on vocational trainings and socioeconomic developments in promoting human resources, with upgrade of educations at the University for the Development of the National Races of the Union in Sagaing and Yangon.

Deputy Permanent Secretary U Sai Tun Nyo replied to the question about the Exchange Letter for Feasibility Study on 3-Year Development Plan of Border Areas signed between Myanmar and China during the visit of Chinese President.

He said the project is still at the status of survey. — Han Myo Soe, Kay Tar (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo, Aung Khin)