Myanmar
is striving for rural development as part of its efforts to alleviate poverty
and a meeting of the related work committee, headed by Vice President Dr. Sai
Mauk Kham, has been underway in Nay Pyi Taw to address the issue.
A wide-ranging survey of livelihood of
household, jointly conducted by Myanmar's Ministry of National Planning and
Economic Development and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) showed
that although poverty rate of the country decreased from 32 percent to 26
percent, the gap between urban and rural areas is still widened as pointed out.
Myanmar has targeted to reduce the poverty
rate down to 16 percent in 2015 in a bid to meet the UN Millennium Development
Goals, narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas.
As rural development and poverty alleviation
tasks are to be carried out up to December 2015, it was stressed that 10 work
programs for poverty alleviation are to be employed as work guidelines.
"Only with extensive cultivation of crops
which are favorable to regional climates, can rural development and poverty
alleviation be realized," the vice president maintained, emphasizing the
importance to implement One Village One Product program and establish
village-based industries that can generate more income for local folks who are
dealing with conventional farm activities.
He also stressed development of micro-credit
scheme for vendors, hawkers and daily-waged workers as well as development of
cooperatives societies to gain confidence from the people.
Other calls include development of
socio-economic life of rural people with priority given to education, health,
transportation, safe drinking water and irrigation.
Moreover, production of energy from biogas and
environmental conservation were also encouraged.
Myanmar has started its poverty alleviation
efforts with rural areas in some townships across the country with regional
work committees at different level being set up for the implementation.
Model farms are being projected to be
established to speed up the process of mechanized farming along with integrated
farms and micro producing enterprises village-wise, providing micro finance for
private micro finance institutions, to improve the socio- economic status of
the rural people.
Managable production of energy such as bio-gas
and solar energy for adequate energy supply to rural areas, prevention of
deforestation and afforestation of bare land for environmental conservation are
also covered by the tasks.
Myanmar's new government has formed the
Central Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation to monitor
tasks for rural development and poverty alleviation and the committee is now in
pursuant of eight tasks to achieve the goal which are development of
agricultural production, rural productivity and cottage industries, micro
saving and credit enterprises, rural socio-economy, rural energy and
environmental conservation.
Emphasis has been placed on formation of rural
cooperative societies with bottom-up initiative at region or state level to
organize residents to form cooperative societies, rather than forming them
perfunctorily.
In the efforts, private companies, domestic
and international non-governmental organizations, and social organizations are
being urged to cooperate with the government.
Of Myanmar's total population of about 60
million, 70 percent live in rural areas.
The government said that it is heading for its
fifth five-year plan for national economic development, setting an annual
target of 10.5 percent economic growth for the fiscal year 2011-12 which
started in April.
Editor:Luo Yuan
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