28 February

A 18TH-DAY meeting of the eleventh regular session of Second Amyotha Hluttaw was convened, yesterday, at the Amyotha Hluttaw Building in Nay Pyi Taw, where asterisk-marked questions were asked and answered, a bill was approved and a motion was discussed.

Construction of a new high-standard cinema

At the question-and-answer session, U Tin Aung Tun of Magway Region constituency 5 asked if there was a plan to construct a new high-standard cinema after the demolition of the old one on U Awwbartha Road, Ward 3, Minbu Town, Magway Region. Regarding the query, Deputy Minister for Information U Aung Hla Tun replied that “The Hla Thiri Cinema” was nationalized by promulgating official notification No. 128, dated July 1, 1969 of the Ministry of Information, under the Government of the Revolutionary Council of the Union of Myanmar. Later the cinema was sold off to private business woman Daw Khin Ohnmar Kyaw at K 5.05 million in accordance with the notification No. 10/2002, dated July 26, 2002 of the Privatization Commission.

According to the terms and conditions of the contract agreement, thy buyer shall have to work in the filming industry while carrying out the transformation of the old cinema into the cinema complex which could entertain the films. Thus there was currently no plan to update the Hla Thiri Cinema.

He added that as for the buyer Daw Khin Ohnmar, the reconstruction of the digital high-standard cinema would be implemented under the supervision of the Magway Region Government.

Construction of housing units and a playground for the children

Dr. Khin Ma Gyi of Kachin State constituency 8 asked if there was a plan to construct a new housing unit for the government employees of the Information and Public Relations Department while building a playground for the children in the compound of the office. Deputy Minister for Information U Aung Hla Tun replied that officials-concerned of the IPRD are being made a cost estimate with the help of engineers in order to repair the deterioration of the house. For the time being now, only repair works would be made, as a first priority, in order to build the housing units where necessary, and currently there was no plan to reconstruct new housing units and a playground for the children in the office’s compound due to the budget restrictions. But the construction works would be materialized only through the patronage of well-wishers/donors or implementation of the BOT system.

Upgrading the Gwa airfield

U Soe Win of Rakhine State constituency 12 asked if there was a plan to upgrade the Gwa airfield and when the airline operation would start at the Gwa airfield, where operation of the Gwa airfield has been terminated since 1982. Regarding this query, Deputy Minister for Transport and Communications U Thar Oo replied that currently, there was no plan to upgrade the airfield and time of the airfield operation could not be estimated.

Question-and-answer session

Similarly, Deputy Minister for Transport and Communications U Thar Oo and Deputy Minister for Electricity and Energy Dr. Htun Naing replied the queries raised by Daw Thiri Yadana of Mon State constituency 12 and U Kyaw Ni Naing of Shan State constituency 11.

A motion on the Myanma Telecommunication Corporation Bill

Then the Amyotha Hluttaw Bill Committee Secretary Dr. Myat Nyana Soe clarified on the report of the Bill Committee regarding the Myanma Telecommunication Corporation bill.

Deputy Minister for Transport and Communications U Thar Oo tabled a motion on the Myanma Telecommunication Corporation Bill, which was to be approved in accordance with the amendments of the bill, and U Zaw Hein of Taninthayi Region constituency 7 supported the bill.

Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than sougth the approval from the Hluttaw and announced that the Myanma Telecommunication Corporation bill was approved.

Dr. Pyae Phyo of Ayeyawady Region constituency 7 discussed the motio. Although there has been the National Land Use Policy, it was of great importance to draw up the National Land Law aiming to bring about the sustainable development of the country.

He urged the Union Government that the National Land Use Policy would be under review in order to implement land management and national land use strategies while setting up procedures and frameworks in line with mid-term and longterm schemes. Regarding the motion, Hluttaw representatives discussed the motion.

Daw May Than Nwe of Ayeyawady Region constituency 11 supported the motion, saying that there was a weak linkage between the National Land Use Committee and relevant ministries. Good coordination between them will yield better results for getting information and data and suggestion would be made to establish the National Land Use Committees in townships, districts and regions. It was needed to share extensive education programmes among the people, and it was right time for them to urge the Union Government and suitable time to set up the mid-term and long-term frameworks.

U Myo Win of Mon State constituency 8 took part in the discussion and saying it was of vital importance to make land use management while striving for enforcement of the land management system.

U Htay Oo of Yangon Region constituency 2, U San Myint of Ayeyawady Region constituency 3, U Htein Win of Ayeyawady Region constituency 4, Naw Hla Hla Soe of Yangon Region constituency 10 and U Zon Hle Htan of Chin State constituency 4 participated in the discussion.

The 19th–day meeting of the eleventh regular session of the Second Amyotha Hluttaw is scheduled to be held on 1st March, it was learnt.

By Aung Ye Thwin, Lu Maw
(Translated by Win Ko Ko Aung)