Joint parliament session to debate budget on Tuesday

Thursday, 26 January 2012 22:43 Myo Thant

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – A joint session of both houses of the Burmese Parliament will have only one day to deliberate on next year’s budget, say lawmakers. The joint session will meet on Tuesday in Naypyitaw.

Parliament speaker Khin Aung Myint told lawmakers on Thursday that the budget would be the only item on that day’s agenda.

Upper House MP Phone Myint Aung told Mizzima that ministers and state government officials would brief lawmakers throughout the day.

“We were told that we must remain in session until the deliberations on the budget are finished,” he said.

Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP) MP Dr. Aye Maung told Mizzima on Wednesday that lawmakers would try to cut items from the budget that were non-essential projects.

In the Upper House session on Thursday, lawmakers raised a number of questions:

Border and Development Affairs Minister Thein Htay told MPs that infrastructure improvement work would be done as funds become available.

Upper House MP Khin Waing Kyi asked about the national plan for future energy sufficiency. Energy Minister Than Htay answered, saying that Burma currently consumes 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day and domestic production was only 20,000 barrels per day. Current production is not sufficient for the demands in the country, he said.

Upper House MP Myo Mhint of Mandalay constituency No. 6 moved a motion to change from the current imperial metric system.

Rangoon constituency No. 1 MP Khin Waing Kyi moved a motion to increase maternity leave from the current 45 days.

Parliament will debate the motions in future sessions. MPs said the current third session of Parliament would last about one month.