U Soe Min, U Soe Thein and U Bo Bo Nge take an oath as deputy governors of the Central Bank of Myanmar. Photo: MNA
The 2016 annual report by the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission was submitted to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw yesterday.
U Win Mya, the chairman of the MNHRC, said special attention had been paid of the rights of children.
“Supplementary agreements on rights of children or children’s involvement in armed conflicts had been initially signed, but arrangements will be made for further signing for approval. Suggestions will be made to ensure safety on the job and not to lose the rights of labourers, including children in human-resource-orientated productions. If the international agreement on economic, social and cultural rights can be approved and signed successfully, the international community can assume that Myanmar’s stance on the protection and up-gradation of human rights is of great strength.”
U Win Mya spoke afterwards about arrangements to hold discussions and talks on human rights, human rights in combination with media and social websites, the situation on surveys over complaints, receipts of complaints about the Ministries and Region and State Cabinets, arrangements for inmates from penitentiaries to further their learning, separate interviews and interrogations with inmates from custodies and prisons, acquisition of advice for Myanmar from the UNHCR, holding workshops aimed at reducing forced slavery and situations included in the special report of the Commission, submitted to the CEDAW Committee.
The report was put on record by the Hluttaw.
At the meeting, U Soe Min, U Soe Thein and U Bo Bo Nge took an oath as the deputy-governors of Central Bank of Myanmar, in the presence of the Speaker of Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, followed by the announcement that Hluttaw put the appointment of U Set Aung, as Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance, sent by the President.
Approvals were made on a bill on petroleum and petroleum products that had been sent back from the President with his conclusions attached, and also on a bill on embankment, which was a disagreement between Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw.
Hluttaw representatives discussed at length the exemption of commercial tax and special commercial tax for some commodities included in the 2017 Union Tax and Revenue Law.
“It has been found that budget estimates of the Union for tax and revenue of FY 2017-2018 exceeded Ks260,000 million more than that of FY 2016-2017. Budget estimate of the Union for special commercial tax outnumbered Ks87299.941 million more than that of FY 2016-2017. Provided that diamonds and emeralds are to be exempted from the levying of a special commercial tax in the current financial year, it needs to comply with national tax policies and budget estimate of tax and revenue of the Union. National budget deficit for the FY 2017-2018 will be 4.37% of GDP with the ratio of tax and GDP to be 7.10%. In doing so, it is necessary to consider potential effects over national deficit and ratio of tax and GDP, in advance. We must take notice of potential emergence of bribery and corruption by exempting things of great value from being levied. Diamonds and emeralds are items of value which are out of reach for most people”, said Major Htin Lin Oo, Hluttaw representative from the Tatmadaw.
“The State is collecting taxes over commodities commonly used by the populace, through promulgated laws and rules. Exemption of valuable things from being levied is a question on transparency and justice. A democratic country is spending tax and revenue for expenditure and governmental machinery operation. An internationally standardised tax system must be created for the acquisition of more tax amongst the voluminous unemployment, income inequality and capability of business’s survival.” Following that, U Tun Tun Hein read out the report of the findings and conclusions of the combined drafting committee regarding the State Lottery Bill sent by the Government, and Hluttaw decided to send it back to the Government as sent the committee.
Myo Myint, Aye Aye Thant
(Myanmar News Agency)