A 17th-day meeting of Second Amyotha Hluttaw’s 13th regular session was held at Amyotha Hluttaw meeting hall yesterday morning. At the meeting asterisk marked questions were raised and answered, a report read and a motion discussed and decided on.
Asterisk marked question session
In the asterisk marked question session U Myint Naing of Rakhine State constituency 5 asked if plans were made to provide timely agriculture loan for farmers planting monsoon paddy in Rakhine State Kyauktaw Township. Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance U Maung Maung Win replied that resignation of ward and village administrators in Kyauktaw Township causes some delay in providing agriculture loan during 2019 but through arrangement of township administrators, the loan works were smoothly conducted through appointment of ward/village elder as an administrator. Agriculture loans were being provided in a time until September 2019 said the Deputy Minister.
Replying to a question raised by U Min Swe Naing of Kachin State constituency 6 on upgrading Mohnyin degree college in Mohnyin township as a university, Deputy Minister for Education U Win Maw Tun said consideration to upgrade the degree college will be made after necessary collection of data were conducted.
Deputy Minister for Education U Win Maw Tun also responded to questions raised by Daw Htu May of Rakhine State constituency 11 on arrangements made to raise the low success rate of students from Rakhine State sitting in the matriculation examination and U Bwe Khane of Chin State constituency 3 on constructing a two-story Township Education Head office in Chin State Thantlang Township.
Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance U Maung Maung Win also responded to a question raised by U Kyaw Thaung of Sagaing Region constituency 1 on pension while Deputy Minister for Ethnic Affairs U Hla Maw Oo responded to a question raised by U Pe Tin of Mon State constituency 6 on amount of fund allocated for state/region ethnic affairs ministers and the management of the fund.
Questions raised by Daw Thiri Yadana of Mon State constituency 12 on a unused traffic light in Mon State, Thaton District, Biln Township, Kanthaya road junction and Naw Hla Hla Soe of Yangon Region constituency 10 on utilization of Yangon City Development Committee’s staff house in Mingaladon Township were answered by Nay Pyi Taw Council member U Nyi Tun.
Report on 2019 New Tree Species Protection Bill
Following the asterisk marked question session Amyotha Hluttaw Bill Committee member U Aung Kyi Nyunt read and explained a committee’s report on 2019 New Tree Species Protection Bill sent by Pyithu Hluttaw with amendments.
Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than then obtained the decision of the Hluttaw to approve the bill as amended by Amyotha Hluttaw Committee.
Next U Hsan Myint of Ayeyawady Region constituency 3 tabled a motion for the bill disagreed by Amyotha Hluttaw and Pyithu Hluttaw be sent to Pyidaungsu Hluttaw for discussion and decision and Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker announced the decision to submit to Pyidaungsu Hluttaw to deliberate and decide on the 2019 New Tree Species Protection Bill disagreed by the two Hluttaws.
Motion on low interest education loan discussed and turned down
Finally a motion tabled by Daw Htu May of Rakhine State constituency 11 urging the government to draw up and implement a low interest education loan to enable students to obtain vocational training or higher education was discussed by U Kyaw Thaung of Sagaing Region constituency 1, U Min Oo of Bago Region constituency 6, U Maung Maung Latt of Sagaing Region constituency 9, Daw Shwe Shwe Sein Latt of Bago region constituency 3 and Dr Than Win of Mandalay constituency 1.
In discussing the motion Deputy Minister for Education U Win Maw Tun said the National Education Strategic Plan 2016-2021 drawn up and implemented had specified raising student support programs but didn’t specify providing loans and recommended the motion to be put on record only.
As Daw Htu May wanted the Hluttaw to vote on the motion, the decision of the Hluttaw was obtained where 19 supported the motion, 125 objected to it while 22 abstained and an announcement was made of Hluttaw turning down the motion.
18th-day meeting of Second Amyotha Hluttaw’s 13th regular session will be held on 10 September.
Aung Ye Thwin, Han Maw (MNA)
(Translated by Zaw Min)
