Acting President and State Security and Peace Commission Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the EV import system will be carried out by replacing old fuel-powered vehicles in exchange for the electric vehicles.
The Acting President Senior General Min Aung Hlaing made the remarks in a speech at a meeting on the availability of sufficient fuel and fertilizers for agricultural sector held at the meeting hall of the National Defence and Security Council Chairman’s Office in Nay Pyi Taw on the afternoon of April 1.
The meeting was attended by Commission member Prime Minister U Nyo Saw, Commission member U Aung Lin Dwe, Commission Secretary General Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services General Ye Win Oo, Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt. Gen. Phone Myat, Union Minister for Finance Dr. Kan Zaw, Union Auditor General Dr. Khin Naing Oo, and Central Bank Governor Daw Than Than Swe.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, the Acting President said that due to the current conflicts in the Middle East, the world is facing a shortage of fuel and the country is also making efforts to overcome this difficulty. Similarly, in order to reduce domestic fuel consumption, the government has recently implemented an odd-even license plate driving system for the use and QR codes for a system of fueling of vehicles and motorcycles. Similarly, in order to reduce fuel consumption, it has been announced that government offices and departments will be allowed to work from home every Wednesday, which has reduced fuel consumption as much as possible.
In addition, as fuel prices rise, commodity prices may also rise in line with commodity flows. Therefore, the State is taking steps to ensure that diesel, which is mainly needed for public transportation, can be purchased at affordable prices. In order to prevent the increase of commodities price due to transportation, it is necessary to mainly use public transportation, such as railways, to transport goods. Similarly, with the increase in fuel prices during this period, the dollar price has also increased slightly. The increase in dollar prices is due to the increase in the cost of imported goods, including fuel, which has led to more money being spent and the dollar price has increased. In order to prevent the price increase of domestic goods, it is necessary to focus on low-income people and employees. In order to prevent the fuel price increase, it is necessary to consider reducing the taxes levied on the import of fuel from abroad. When importing fuel, it is necessary to prioritize diesel, which is mainly used in public transportation, the Acting President said.
As the hot and dry summer has arrived, air conditioners are being used more and more. As the use of electricity has increased, so have the use of generators. In addition to the need to save electricity, it is also necessary to reduce the use of generator and vehicles. If fuel consumption can be reduced, foreign exchange expenditure can be reduced. In order to reduce fuel consumption, EV imports should be carried out through a system of replacing old fuel-powered vehicles with the EVs. Since the rail transport system reduces the cost of transporting goods, it is necessary to expand the number of freight trains. The relevant ministries and regions and states should take steps to widely use the rail transport system for goods, he said.
Similarly, agricultural sector requires inputs such as water and fertilizers, as well as fuel for tractors and water pumps. Therefore, in order to reduce fuel consumption in pumping water, it is necessary to implement solar-powered water pumping projects. Due to the increase in fuel prices and the increase in fertilizer prices, it is necessary to reduce the use of fertilizers and use more natural fertilizers. We can provide subsidies and reduce tax collection as much as possible to ensure that fertilizers, which are essential for agricultural sector, reach farmers at affordable prices. We need to focus on ensuring food security for the people, he said.
The cooking oil needs to be imported from abroad every year, which is costing a lot of foreign currency. We need to expand the cultivation of oilseeds such as sunflower, soybean and sesame, which are currently being grown in our country. If we can improve the production of sunflower oil, we will be able to reduce the need to import cooking oil from abroad and reduce the use of foreign currency. We also need to distribute the necessary fertilizers to farmers at affordable prices. The state will do everything possible to meet the needs of the farmers, and the farmers will produce as much as possible, he said.
Then, the attendees discussed the ongoing efforts to purchase fuel from foreign countries to solve the problem of domestic fuel shortage, the conditions for obtaining sufficient fuel for public transportation such as railways, ships and buses, and the conditions for obtaining sufficient fertilizers for agricultural sector.
Afterwards, the Acting President Senior General Min Aung Hlaing discussed the necessary matters regarding the presentations and adjourned the meeting.
