The New Light of Myanmar (Turesday,

[okkar66129@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: The New Light of Myanmar (Turesday, December 21, 1999)

The New Light of Myanmar (Tuesday, December 21, 1999)
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(1)   Regional Workshop on ASEAN Investment Area (AIA)
      Process begins
(2)   Minister for Industry-l inspects factories 
      in Mon State
(3)   Minister inspects Bago Railway Station
(4)   Minister for CPI attends opening of training
      courses
(5)   Passing fair judgements speedily in accord with
      law essential for firmness of judicial system
(6)   16th coord meeting of Attorney-General and
      State/Division Law Officers held
(7)   27 members resign from Taze Township NLD
(8)   WEATHER
            
_______________________

(1)   Regional Workshop on ASEAN Investment Area (AIA)
      Process begins


YANGON, 20 Dec - Regional Workshop on the ASEAN
Investment Area (AIA) Process jointly organized by
Directorate of Investment and Companies
Administration, ASEAN Secretariat and Hanns Seidel
Foundation began at Hotel Equatorial this morning,
with an address by Minister at the State Peace and
Development Council Chairman's Office Brig-Gen
Abel.

Also present were Minister for Mines, Deputy
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador of
Germany Dr Marius Haas, Ambassador of Laos Mr Ly
Bounkham, Charge d'Affaires ai of Embassy of
Singapore Mr William Chik Kam Weng, senior
investment officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
and Vietnam, observers and guests.

Minister Brig-Gen Abel delivered an address.  He
said:

It is indeed an honour and a great pleasure for me
to say a few words at the opening ceremony of the
Regional Workshop on the ASEAN Investment Area
(AIA) Process for the senior investment officials
from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
First of all, on behalf of the Government of the
Union of Myanmar and on my own behalf, may I
extend my warm welcome to all of you to the Golden
Land of Myanmar.  I am grateful to have the
opportunity to host this auspicious workshop held
in Myanmar.

It has come to my knowledge that the Coordinating
Committee on Investment (CCI), under its Human
Resource Development Programme, is to conduct one
workshop for the new Member Countries and another
workshop for the other ASEAN Member Countries
every year.  This is the first of its kind of the
new member countries.  This is made possible with
funding support from Hanns Seidel Foundation
(Germany) and I would like to express my sincere
gratitude to Mr Gunter Renner, Regional Director
of Hanns Seidel Foundation Singapore for his keen
interest to support the programme.

The prime objective of this particular workshop is
to provide investment officials from new Member
countries, responsible for the implementation of
the AIA Agreement, with better understanding on
international investment issues discussed at
international fora and to facilitate discussion on
how the new member countries could better respond
to the ramifications of these international
investment issues.

In line with such objective, the topics such as
international investment issues and its
implications, investment cooperation in ASEAN, and
features, commitment and progress in the
implementation of the AIA Agreement will be
discussed by prominent resource persons.
Furthermore, participants will make country
presentations and exchange views and experiences.

The Second ASEAN Informal Summit, held in Kuala
Lumpur on 15th December 1997, adopted the ASEAN
Vision 2020.  In order to implement the long-term
vision, actions plans are being drawn up.  At the
Sixth ASEAN Summit held in Hanoi in December 1998,
the ASEAN Leaders had adopted the Hanoi Plan of
Action aiming at, among others, implementing
initiatives to hasten economic recovery.  To
create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive
ASEAN Economic Region in which there is a free
flow of goods, services and investments the
initiatives such as acceleration of implementing
the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and acceleration
of the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) were included.
Moreover, the bold measures were launched in order
to improve the investment climate by extending
additional special privileges to qualified ASEAN
and on ASEAN investors in the manufacturing
sector, for applications received from 1st January
1999 to 31st December 2000 and approved there
after.

Furthermore, it was agreed that in order to
accelerate the implementation of the AIA
Agreement, Temporary Exclusion List (TEL) for the
manufacturing sector will be progressively phased
out by the year 2003 instead of waiting for 20io
as initially agreed.  Myanmar will join the first
six ASEAN countries to progressively phase out the
exclusions by the year 2003 instead of 20is,
Vietnam and Laos will excert their best efforts to
achieve the early realization of the AIA and shall
do so no later than 2010, instead of 2013 and 2015
respectively.

Due to the impact of economic turmoil in the
region, FDI flows have slowed down significantly.
In this context, discussions of this workshop we
aimed at enhancement of the understanding of the
investment officials on FDI flows into the region
as well as the global FDI trend, pattern and
development.

In the light of such circumstances, I would like
to urge all participants to focus on the
realization of our goal towards the ASEAN Vision
2020.  I am confident that by exchanging views and
opinions among those who attend the workshop in
the spirit of mutual understanding, the outcome of
the workshop would he very fruitful and
successful.

Before I conclude the statement, may I again
express my sincere thanks to Hanns Seidel
Foundation for financial support.  May I extend my
sincere thanks to ASEAN Secretariat for their
assistance.

My thanks are also extended to all personnel of
Hotel Equatorial for their superb arrangements for
the workshop.  Last but not least, may I express
my deep appreciation to the staffs of Directorate
of Investment and Company Administration for their
coordinated efforts to mobilize and prepare for
the workshop.

Thank you all for your kind attention and wish you
a pleasant stay in Myanmar.

Regional Director Mr Gunter Renner of Hanns Seidel
Foundation of Singapore branch office made a
speech.

Participants led by expert Mr Martin Khor and
Senior Officer Ms Maricel Macesar of ASEAN
Secretariat discussed investment matters relating
to World Trade Organization and impact on member
nations, prospects of foreign investment in ASEAN
region points on the investment agreement among
ASEAN nations and implementation.

The workshop continues tomorrow.

_______________________


(2)   Minister for Industry-l inspects factories 
      in Mon State


YANGON, 20 Dec - Minister for Industry-1 U Aung
Thaung and officials met factory manager and
service personnel of No 3 Distillery of Myanma
Foodstuff Industries in Bilin on 18 December.

The minister discussed boosting production and
exceeding targets for 1999-2000 fiscal year,
running of factories and manufacturing of quality
products .

Managing Director of Myanma Foodstuff Industries
reported on arrangements of the distillery,
factory manager on production, distribution,
supply of raw materials and welfare of service
personnel.  The minister then gave instructions on
future tasks.

The minister and party inspected production
process.

The minister, accompanied by Deputy Commander of
South-East Command and departmental inspected No 4
Distillery in Mawlamyine.

They also inspected the signboard of the factory.
The minister met factory manager and service
personnel and gave instructions.

The minister and party inspected ceramic factory
and marble slab factory in Mawlamyine.

This morning, the minister inspected Paper Mill in
Sittoung.  He inspected the machinery, master
room, production of caustic sodas production of
pulp and paper.

The minister discussed repair of machinery and
matters relating to exceeding the targets with
officials.

_______________________


(3)   Minister inspects Bago Railway Station

YANGON, 20 Dec - Minister for Rail Transportation
U Pan Aung and officials inspected Bago Railway
Station on 18 December.

The minister met officials from Myanma Railways,
Road Transport, Road Administration Department and
Transport Planning Department at Thaton Station.

In the afternoon, the minister inspected
construction of Duyinseik Donthamichaung Bridge
and approach road.

Yesterday, the minister also met officials of MR,
Road Administration Department and Transport
Planning Department at MR guest house in Dawei and
gave instructions.


_____________________


(4)   Minister for CPI attends opening of training
      courses

YANGON, 20 Dec - A ceremony to open Postal
Accountancy Refresher Course, Computer Network
Administration Course, S.S Cable Construction and
Maintenance Course and Facsimile Operator Training
Course was held at Telecommunication and Postal
Training Centre of Myanma Posts and
Telecommunications this morning with an address by
Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs
Brig-Gen Win Tin.

Also present on the occasion were the
director-general of Posts and Telecommunications
Department, the general manager and section heads
of Myanma Posts and Telecommunications, the
principal of the training school, course
instructors and trainees.

Myanma Posts and Telecommunications is striving to
keep pace, with the improving and changing
information age, and all the trainees also need to
study, hard at the respective courses.

S.S Cable Construction and Maintenance Course is
conducted with the aim of ensuring the emergence
of employees who are skilled at systematic cable
construction and maintenance; the course will last
for three weeks.

Facsimile Operator Training Course is the seventh
of its kind and will last for one week; the course
is conducted with the aim of enabling employees of
MPT and those who are using facsimile; machines on
hire to apply and maintain facsimile machines.

Postal Accountancy Refresher Course is being
attended by 10 trainees, Computer Network
Administration Course by 10, S.S Cable
Construction and Maintenance Course by 15 and
Facsimile Operator Training-Course by eight.

After the ceremony, the minister went to the
General Post Office on Standard Road.

The minister inspected international postal
service counters and domestic express postal
services and express remittance services, and gave
instructions on work.

____________________


(5)   Passing fair judgements speedily in accord with
      law essential for firmness of judicial system


YANGON, 20 Dec - The 1 5th work coordination
meeting between Supreme Court Justices and
State/Division Judges was held this morning in the
meeting hall of the Supreme Court, addressed by
Chief Justice U Aung Toe.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Justice U Aung Toe
said the meeting was held to assess the cases
handed down at the courts, to lay down future
tasks and to discuss judicial sectors which must
be given priority.

In assessing their work and laying down future
tasks, judges should work in line with the
guidance given by the Chairman of the State Peace
and Development Council; and they should work
collectively for the success of their task.

If the present situation is to be assessed, it can
be seen that there is development in judicial
functions at the Supreme Court; but in
State/Division Courts, the number of pending cases
has not decreased significantly yet; in some
courts the number of pending cases is rising; this
shows that there is weakness at the basic-level
courts in carrying out the work in accord with the
new system and organizational set-up.

Thorough discussions should be held to find ways
for giving close supervision, conducting judicial
proceedings and reducing the number of pending
cases.

All judges should stay away from bribery and
should work with goodwill and fairness in passing
judgements.  Action has been taken against
judicial personnel for their misconduct.
Effective measures should be taken to wipe out
corruption at the courts.

Passing fair judgements in accord with the law and
in a speedy manner is essential for the firmness
of the judicial system and the judicial staff to
win the people's trust.  Flourishing of such a
judicial system cannot be done by judges alone:
all the respective departments, lawyers and the
public should render assistance for the
development of a firm and smooth judicial system.

Deputy Chief Justices U Than Oo and U Khin Maung
Latt also gave speeches.

The Director-General (Yangon) reported, on the
Supreme Court's implementation concerning
proposals and suggestions presented at the
previous meeting.

The State/Division judges then took part in the,
discussions.

The Director-General (Yangon) and the
Director-General (Mandalay) looked into their
requirements.

The meeting continues on 21 December.


 __________________________
 
 
(6)   16th coord meeting of Attorney-General and
      State/Division Law Officers held


YANGON, 20 Dec - The 16th coordination meeting of
the Attorney-General and State Division Law
Officers was held at the Attorney-General's Office
this morning.

Present were Attorney-General U Tha Tun, Deputy
Attorney-General, Director-General of the
Attorney-General's Office, Deputy Director-General
and officials.

Attorney-General U Tha Tun said it is the last
meeting before 2000.  He recalled that the Head of
State gave guidance on correct and speedy
administration of justice.

He said law officers are to assist in
administration of justice as their primary duty.

Deputy Director-General of the Attorney-General's
Branch Office (Mandalay) and State/Division law
officers reported on work undertaken.

The meeting continues tomorrow.

 ____________________________
 
 
(7)   27 members resign from Taze Township NLD


YANGON, 20 Dec - Twenty-seven members resigned
from the National League for Democracy of Taze
Township, Sagaing Division.

Twenty-seven members of Taze Township NLD, Sagaing
Division, of their own volition, resigned by
sending letters of resignation to Township
Multiparty Democracy General Election
Sub-commission and the party concerned on 25
October 1999 as they no longer wished to
participate in party politics of NLD.

________________________


(8)   WEATHER

Maximum temperature on Dec 19 was 31.5 C (89F)
Minimum temperature on Dec 20 was 15.3 C(60F)

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