The complaint made by former MP Dr. Nyo Nyo Thin in regards to the five evident facts that reflect the loss of public funds in the Yangon region auditor general’s report, has been sent to the scrutinizing commission, said deputy director Kyaw Soe, spokesperson of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
“She sent an e-mail to the commission after working hours on Friday. Her complaint was received on Monday. It has been registered as the entry letter. It will be sent to the alternate complaint scrutinizing commission. The complaint will be reviewed at the commission’s meeting,” he added.
In her letter, she lodged a complaint about the loss of State funds in the audit report for 2016-2017 fiscal year in order for the anti-corruption commission to launch an investigation into it.
To many political observers and the local media industry, this is one of the most interesting developments that has sprung up recently relating to the political hemisphere of Yangon Region.
The letter said the loss of public funds is linked to the breach of laws relating to corruption by authorized persons. The corruption is defined that the acts done by anyone who have the authority to manage the public funds may cause a loss of public funds after a breach of existing laws, procedures and rules. One of such huge losses spotlighted in the report is the handovers of thousand acres of lands to well-known businesspersons under the pretext of projects, including the sale of 21 land blocks measuring 40 ft X 60 ft to a single person in the 2015-2016 fiscal year at reduced rates. There was a revenue loss of at least Ks41.97 billion as the region government was unable to collect service charges for the land permit in accordance with the new rates that better represent the current market prices.
Observe into the lives of the public and one will find that most of public hospitals (including station hospitals) have no access to electricity round the clock. There are unbalanced ratio between patients and doctors, a shortage of beds and spaces for doctors, nurses and patients’ families in some hospitals, the deaths of many patients due to a shortfall of medicines and machines for blood test, heart, kidney and cancer patients. Nearly 42 billion worth of losses could have been used to save the lives of thousands of people, claimed the letter.
Another loss is the land connected to the People’s Park to the west of Shwedagon Pagoda. It was leased out to a private company at discounted rates lower than the current value. It is a loss of Ks one billion in public funds monthly. More than 16,600 underprivileged people in Yangon with a Ks 1,000 cost meal by using this fund. Another fund loss is a project on the 45th Street in Botahtaung Township in Yangon. This project has resulted in a loss of Ks9.2 billion.
In addition, there is an annual loss of Ks3.8 billion for 15-acre leased land in Bahan Township. Kandawgyi, Kantawmin and Myainghaywon Parks make a loss of Ks2 billion annually. This fund can be used to develop about 2,500 10-million low-cost apartments for the ordinary people in Yangon, a city where mass migration and skyrocketing house rentals could be seen, during the remaining tenure of government. The common point is the consecutive huge losses occurred as an authority person or an organization gave advantage to a person or private companies after a breach of existing laws, the letter said.
