Government
National government
NA approves draft-amended Law on Government

The National Assembly approved a draft-amended Law on Government on November 8 that revises the mandates of the prime minister, ministers and some state departments. The amendments came after the Government Office was renamed the Prime Minister’s Office following the assumption of office of the new ...
Poverty reduction slows

Poverty reduction has slowed a little but the government will strive to reduce the number of poor families from 6.56 percent in 2016 down to 6.09 percent by 2017, the government has told the National Assembly. There are four main reasons for the slower rate ...
Anxiety in Manila as Duterte blasts U.S., embraces China

During long hours stuck in Manila’s choking traffic, taxi driver Maning Yabut constantly hears about the anxieties of Filipinos from all walks of life. These days, the talk is all about whether President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-U.S. outbursts are good for the Philippines. Particularly concerned, he ...
Media law approved, but needs more changes: Assembly
National Assembly members have called for media outlets, individuals and entities that operate within the industry to be more clearly defined by law to ensure the media contributes positively to national protection and development. Members highlighted these points when debating a draft amendment to the ...
Government accedes to requests of UN resident coordinator and diplomatic missions

Union officials on November 3 said they had satisfied the requirements of diplomatic officials for northern Rakhine State in the aftermath of the deadly armed attacks of October 9. Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Chief Minister of Rakhine State U Nyi Pu ...
President inspects Biluchaung Hydro-power Plant 2 in Kayah State

President U Htin Kyaw, together with Union Ministers U Than Myint, U Thein Swe and U Pe Zin Tun and Deputy Minister Maj-Gen Than Htut, visited Loikaw in Kayah State on November 3 and met with local officials, entrepreneurs, farmers and residents in Linphonlay Village. The ...
Abe vies with China for influence over ASEAN gateways

The warm welcome afforded Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, here on November 2 underscores Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s eagerness to counter Chinese overtures to a country, like the Philippines, of great geopolitical importance in Southeast Asia. Abe greeted Suu Kyi at the ...
China needs 'lose-win' diplomacy in ASEAN

Scanning the regional landscape on November 3, South-east Asian states ought to be quite optimistic about the state of ASEAN-China relations just as the year closes on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of their dialogue partnership. ASEAN and China have agreed to a series of ...
PM vows zero tolerance of financial misconduct
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told the National Assembly this week that the ongoing violations of financial regulations by various state departments must be addressed and those found guilty punished. The premier was responding to questions raised by members of parliament concerning possible solutions to the ...
Public debt near red line: NA deputies

The second session of the National Assembly on November 1 continued with debates on a five year financial plan, targets and orientation for the mobilisation and use of public investment loans as well as public debt management during 2016-2020. Finance Minister Đinh Tiến Dũng presented a ...