Myanmar new gov't works for peace, economic development since taking office

Myanmar's new government of the ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), has been working for the development of a number of sectors such as foreign relations, national reconciliation, economy, health and education since it assumed office on April 1.

Of these sectors, special emphasis was put on the foreign relations and peace pursuit.

During the 100-day period since the new government came to office, a number of foreign countries' ministers including China, France, Italy, Japan and the United States came to Myanmar, showing a good step made towards good bilateral friendship.

President U Htin Kyaw and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi paid visit to Laos as their first foreign trip and then the president's trip to Russia for Russia-ASEAN summit made some achievements in bilateral relations.

Aung San Suu Kyi's Thailand trip gained deserved rights for Myanmar migrant workers in the neighboring country.

During the 100-day tenure of the new government, Suu Kyi changed and laid down some policy about peace approach and set the last week of August for holding the 21st Century Panglong Conference after agreeing with eight signatory armed groups to the Nationwide Cease fire Accord (NCA).

Suu Kyi outlined the policy guidelines for the peace process which include allowing non-signatory groups to the NCA to join the Panglong Conference, inviting political parties without parliamentary seat to the conference, and assigning the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) in dealing with international donors and their assistance to the peace process.

The new government reformed the former Myanmar Peace Center with a new National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) and started to prepare for the Panglong Conference.

The Panglong Conference Preparatory Committee Chairman Dr. Tin Myo Win had met with Wa and Mongla groups in June.

Suu Kyi is set to hold talks with representatives of non-signatory armed groups to the NCA in Yangon on July 17 and then a review of political framework is to be made in early August.

Meanwhile, a three-day ethnic summit is arranged to be held in Mine Kyar Yan in Kachin state, controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), on July 26 to lay down a common stance in preparation for the conference.

Furthermore, the new government reformed its Investment Commission, initiated stock exchange market and brought down U.S. dollar exchange rate among others.

The Ministry of Commerce vowed to boost its export by three folds and were planning related measures.

Despite invitation for increased foreign investment in the country to boost its economy, there are much less investment in the agricultural sector with only 7.2 million U.S. dollars or negligible 0.1 percent being injected into the sector while the foreign investment reached 9.4 billion U.S. dollars in the fiscal year 2015-16..

In the matters of laying down its export-import policy and inviting foreign investors, the new government also considered to protect local companies' benefit.

Some observers here said economic sector plays the most important role for national development, which needs more time for more reform.

(APD)