Senior General Than Shwe gives guidance at Coordination Meeting 1/2007 of Special Projects Implementation Committee Due to correct approaches, thorough coordination and cooperation, nation sees more irrigation facilities, bridges, hydro-electric power stations, and industries

Nay Pyi Taw, 23 March - Chairman of the Special Projects Implementation Committee Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe gave guidance at the Coordination Meeting 1/2007 of the Special Projects Implementation Committee at the Commander-in-Chief (Army) Military Operations Hall, here, this afternoon.

Also present at the meeting were Vice-Chairman of the Special Projects Implementation Committee Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, members of the Committee SPDC member General Thura Shwe Mann, Secretary of the Committee Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Thein Sein, Committee members SPDC members Lt-Gen Ye Myint, Lt-Gen Kyaw Win, Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than, Lt-Gen Maung Bo, Lt-Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo, Lt-Gen Aung Htwe and Lt-Gen Tin Aye, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Vice-Admiral Soe Thein, Commander-in-Chief (Air) Lt-Gen Myat Hein, Maj-Gen Myint Hlaing of the Ministry of Defence, Military Affairs Security Chief Maj-Gen Ye Myint, ministers, deputy ministers, departmental heads and officials. Joint-Secretary of the Committee Director-General Col Kyaw Kyaw Win of the SPDC Office acted as MC.

The Senior General in his speech said that the purpose of the meeting was to review the construction projects.

Normal efforts are not enough to achieve success in rebuilding the nation that lagged behind in development, he pointed out. In the process, the forces in various sectors are to be welded and efforts are to be exerted with added momentum to achieve the goal.

The Special Projects Implementation Committee was thus established, and the projects scheduled for national progress were scrutinized and implemented through collaborative efforts.

The projects to be implemented need huge investments with large work volume.

So, it will be ineffective if the ministry concerned alone takes all responsibilities to complete such a giant project. And necessary arrangements are made to implement the project through the supervision of the central level and cooperation of all relevant ministries.

Due to correct approaches and thorough coordination and cooperation, the nation has seen more irrigation facilities, bridges, hydroelectric power stations, and industries one after another.

And the people are now enjoying the results of the projects.

The government is implementing necessary projects region-wise to bring about equitable development in all parts of the Union, and narrow the development gap between one region and another. Now, states and divisions are enjoying remarkable progress, resulting from new roads, bridges, irrigation facilities, higher learning institutions and modern hospitals.

The development momentum is to be accelerated in the interests of the people. So, special projects are to be implemented constantly.

Realizing that special projects play an important role in the drive for national development, the ministry concerned is to take effective measures by doing its bit.

The projects are grouped into two categories?short-term and long-term ones. The ministries have to exert strenuous endeavours to complete the projects on schedule or ahead of schedule.

He called for efficient use of the funds on the project. In this regard, responsible persons are to make field trips to the project sites to be able to supervise the tasks.

Only then will the projects be completed ahead of schedule with less expenditure. And the people will be able to enjoy the fruits of the projects earlier than scheduled.

With earnest efforts and harmonious cooperation, there will be more basic foundations necessary for building a new developed nation, he said.

Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Maj-Gen Htay Oo reported on matters related to implementation of Sitha Supporting Dam Project, Palway Dam and Phaunglaung Dam projects.

Irrigation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation will implement Sitha Supporting Dam Project on Sitha Creek near Sitha Village of PyinOoLwin Township with a view to supplying 1 million gallon of water to Yadanabon Myothit of PyinOoLwin Township daily and irrigating more water to the farmlands.

Palway Dam Project will be implemented near Kyauklongyi Village, 20 miles from Pyinmana to irrigate 3,000 acres in the township for regional development. The project will supply water to Chaungmange irrigated area.

Phaunglaung Dam Project will be implemented on Phaunglaung Creek near Meelaunggon Village, 15 miles from Pyinmana. On completion, the dam can irrigate 400 acres in Pyinmana Township for regional development.

Minister for Industry-1 U Aung Thaung submitted matters on Pakokku Garment Factory (Project), Myittha Textile Factory (Project), Pyawbwe Textile Factory (Project), Advanced Insulator Factory Project (Chauk), Cement Plant (Nay Pyi Taw) and other factory projects.

The Ministry of Industry-1 is building personal and household goods factories with the aims of fulfilling the basic needs of the people, developing the regions, creating job opportunities and enabling people to use local goods made at reasonable price.

Pakokku Garment Factory built on Pakokku-Myaing Road can manufacture 12 million pieces of shirts. The factory started going into commercial operation in July 2006.

Plans are under way to build Myittha Textile Factory (Project) near mile post No 387 of Yangon-Mandalay Highway in Langwa Village-tract of Myittha Township and Pyawbwe Textile Factory (Project) near Pyithaya Myothit in Pyawbwe Township. Each factory will be able to produce 5.472 million pounds of thread a year.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Industry-1 will implement the Advanced Insulator Factory Project (Chauk) that will manufacture 800 tons of advanced insulators a year. The factory will be built beside Chauk-Sale Road, four miles from Chauk. The insulators are used in power lines.

The ministry will build 500-ton Cement Plant (Nay Pyi Taw) near Taungphila Hill, 12 miles from Thawuthti of Lewe Township.

The 80-ton Brown Paper Factory, the 50-ton CTMP Factory and the 120-ton Mineral Salt Factory are under construction near No 2 Paper Factory (Yeni) in Yedashe Township.

Minister for Industry-2 Maj-Gen Saw Lwin reported on construction of factories and progress of tasks, and implementation of Aluminum Wire Cable Factory (Project).

In Thagara Industrial Region of Yedashe Township, Multi-purpose Diesel Engine Factory (Project), Bulldozer and Excavator Factory (Project) and Hydel Power Turbine and Generator Factory (Project) are being implemented.

On completion, Multi-purpose Diesel Engine Factory will manufacture 128 ZC series engines such as 6V 128 ZC engine (250-400 hp), 8V 128 ZC engine (330-540 hp), and 12V 128 ZC engine (500-800 hp). Likewise, Bulldozer and Excavator Factory will manufacture SD 22-M bulldozers and SC 220.7-M excavators. Hydel Power Turbine and Generator Factory (Project) will also produce 100-kilo, 500-kilo, 2000-kilo and 5000-kilo turbines and generators.

On completion, Radial Tyre Factory in Bilin Township is expected to produce nine types of Radial tyres for vehicles.

Ministry of Industry-2 will also establish a factory in Pahtosan Village of Magway Township to produce aluminum conductor steel reinforced cables to be used for the grid.

Regarding the construction of bridges and roads, Minister for Construction Maj-Gen Saw Tun reported on arrangements for keeping a record of construction of roads and bridges and construction of Pathein-Thalatkhwa-Mawtinsun Road, Swa Creek Bridge and Bago Bridge.

Ministry of Construction has laid down short and long term plans and has constructed roads and bridges across the country. The length of road has increased from 13,635 miles in 1988 to 19,194 miles and 6 furlongs in March in 2007 and therefore, the ministry constructed 5,559 miles and 6 furlongs.

Till 1988, there were 3,305 bridges which are under 180 feet long. A total of 2,074 bridges have been constructed from 1988 to March 2007 by the ministry, the number of under 180-foot- long bridges reaches 5,379.

There were 180-foot and above long 198 bridges before 1988. The ministry constructed 203 bridges which are 180 feet and above long.

Regarding the construction of road, construction work of Pathein-Thalatkhwa-Mawtinzun Road was launched in 1989. So far, 42 miles of the road have been placed with gravel while earthwork of 42 miles have been completed.

The road will be upgraded from an earth road to a gravel road, and to an asphalt road. On completion of Pathein-Thalatkhwa-Mawtinsun Road, residents can travel to coastal regions through the road and their health, economic and social standards will improve.

Swa Creek Bridge on Yangon-Mandalay Highway is old and one-lane bridge. As the bridge can no longer withstand the increasing loads of trucks, it will be replaced with a new one. The new bridge will be 270 ft long and 48 ft wide. It will be a four-lane road and it is expected to withstand 60 tons of load.

Having become the old duel bridges on Yangon-Mandalay Highway, the two bridges across Bago River in Bago can no longer withstand the loads of trucks which have increased day by day. As the duel bridges are also located in a strategic place in Bago, the town has experienced traffic congestion. Therefore, the two bridges are required to be replaced with new one.

Therefore, Ministry of Construction has arranged to construct a 72-foot-wide reinforced concrete bridge and to replace it with the old ones. The new bridge will be 360 ft long and is expected to withstand 60 tons of load.

Afterwards, Minister for Electric Power No 1, Minister for Electric Power No 2, Minister for Transport, Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs, Minister for Energy, Minister for Rail Transportation and Minister for Forestry reported on projects of respective ministries.

The coordination meeting ended in the evening.

Reports of the ministries at the coordination meeting will continue to be published.