Infrastructure improvements on Manaung Island and city toll collection in three Ayeyarwady Region townships were among the issues discussed at yesterday’s meeting of the Pyithu Hluttaw in Nay Pyi Taw. A total of six questions were answered, two reports confirmed and two bills decided and confirmed by the hluttaw yesterday.
Responding to a question by U Tin Nu (b) U Tin Nu Aung of Manaung constituency on hotel and travel sector development in Manaung, Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism U Ohn Maung said instructions were made to coordinate with related ministries and Rakhine State government.
Manaung Airfield runway was extended in FY 2017-2018 and airfield development works will continue from FY 2018-2019 to FY 2020-2021. A GSM mobile phone station is being installed in Ohwa Village, Manaung Township and a proposal submitted to state government to construct two 2-MW solar power plants together with Manaung Public Company and FMI company. Furthermore, a two-storey building for Manaung Hospital was also constructed while a bank branch was opened to provide financial services.
For the hotel and travel sector as well as general development in Manaung Island, Rakhine State government is working together with Manaung Public Company and FMI company since 2016. As a first step, a feasibility study was conducted to draw up a main programme and a proposal was submitted to the Myanmar Investment Commission. A master plan and a detailed plan will be submitted in January 2018, said the Union Minister.
Dr. U San Shwe Win of Yekyi constituency then raised a question on whether municipalities have the right to collect town entry tolls on roads constructed by the construction department and whether collection of four separate road tolls on a single township road is in accord with prevailing laws. Deputy Minister for Construction U Kyaw Lin said in the past city entry tolls were collected together with road usage tolls on roads constructed by the Ministry of Construction, but now instructions were sent to collect it separately in separate places. City entry tolls for entry into Athoke, Yekyi and Ngathaingchaung cities are collected by the arrangement of the state government and the relevant municipalities. City entry tolls are to be collected from vehicles that enter into a city, and since Pathein-Monywa Road by-passed Yekyi and Ngathaingchaung cities, collection of city entry tolls for Yekyi and Ngathaingchaung on this road is not in accordance with the municipal law, said the Deputy Minister.
As the city entry toll collection work into Athoke, Yekyi and Ngathaingchaung was auctioned by Ayeyawady Region municipalities for FY 2017-2018, collection will be allowed for this FY and will not be permitted by the start of FY 2018-2019, explained the Deputy Minister. Questions on roads and bridges construction, maintenance and upgrading made by U Win Win of Minbu constituency, Dr. U Min Thein of YeU constituency and U Armoesi of Khaunglanpu constituency were then answered by Deputy Minister for Construction U Kyaw Lin.
In yesterday’s meeting the Hluttaw’s agreement to accept the Pyithu Hluttaw electricity and power development committee report and Pyithu Hluttaw people’s affairs management committee report was made, submission of an embankment bill sent with amendment by Amyotha Hluttaw and decision of the hluttaw on it and discussion and decision of the Hluttaw on the third amendment of the anti-corruption law approved and sent back without amendment by Amyotha Hluttaw were conducted.
Kyaw Thu Htet
(Myanmar News Agency )