YANGON — Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has instructed regional chief ministers to review the memorandums of understanding and agreement (MOUs and MOAs) signed under the previous government, according to Sagaing Region chief minister Dr. Myint Naing.
In her first-ever video conference with cabinet members on Wednesday, the State Counselor spoke with chief ministers of Magwe, Sagaing and Mandalay, and told them to expedite regional development endeavors.
“Mainly, she instructed us to speed up regional development works and review the memorandums of agreement signed under the previous government,” Dr. Myint Naing told The Irrawaddy.
The chief ministers of Sagaing and Mandalay regions presented plans for agricultural modernization, improved transportation and electricity supply, and tourism development, he said.
Magwe Region chief minister Dr. Aung Moe Nyo told The Irrawaddy that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is expected give further instructions regarding a newly discovered oil field in Minbu Township in the next video conference.
He explained that the oil field could potentially measure 20 miles long and three miles wide, and is adjacent to Mann and Htauk Shar Bin oil fields in crude oil-rich Magwe.
Dr. Aung Moe Nyo also said that an ore deposit had been discovered on the border of Magwe’s Sidoktaya and Chin State’s Kanpetlet townships.
The State Counselor also reportedly told him that the government is continuing to inspect the funds of regional governments.
More than three billion kyats was recently retrieved from the previous government in Magwe, after the President’s Office ordered an investigation into a missing 7.46 billion kyats in regional development funds collected from small-scale crude oil producers.
Dr. Aung Moe Nyo said that with these funds, his government would procure fire engines and garbage trucks, and speed up departmental works.
For Magwe in particular, the auditing continues on public funds at the instruction of President’s Office, according to Union-level Auditor-General U Maw Than.
He said the investigation is expected to be completed by the end of September, and that the findings would be submitted to the President.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
