19 Jan
Union Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe presided over the meeting via videoconferencing to conduct the year-end review on the EU Myan Ku Fund for garment sector in relation to COVID-19 and the future plans yesterday.
The meeting was also taken part by Deputy Minister U Myint Kyaing, the directors-general and officials, EU Ambassador to Myanmar Mr Ranieri Sabatucci, Director of UNOPS Mr Andrew Kirkwood, Executive Director Dr Zaw Oo from the Centre for Economic and Social Development, employers’ agents and employees representatives.
In his speech, the Union Minister expressed thanks for Euro 5 million contributions of the European Union for rapid financial assistance to garment sector workers laid off amid the recent economic fallout from the COVID-19 epidemic, and over K4 billion cash assistance through EU Myan Ku Fund for over 60,000 workers in garment, footwear and textile industries.
The government is implementing the Overcoming as One: COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan-CERP with the participation of ministries and working to adopt the Myanmar Economic Recovery and Reform Plan (MERRP), while putting emphasis on the social protection for the workers.
The ministry has given out more than K65 billion to over 1.5 million insured workers from the suspended businesses from 20 April 2020 to 12 January 2021 during the first wave and the second wave of COVID-19. The European Union has planned to provide an additional Euro5 million for the unemployed workers, while the Myanmar government is struggling to contain of the pandemic and economic recovery of the country simultaneously.
The EU Ambassador explained the financial assistance; the Director of UNOPS talked about the Myan Ku Fund, and the Executive Director of CESD presented the salient points in research findings on the workers who experienced the negative impacts of COVID-19 outbreak. The employers’ agents and employee representatives also discussed their problems during the pandemic.
MNA (Translated by Aung Khin)
