22 Jan 

Union Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe delivered an opening speech at the meeting with Executives of Local Employment Companies Association and Managing Directors of local employment agencies held via videoconferencing yesterday morning.

The meeting focussed on the matters related to helping people find local jobs effectively and quickly under the New Normal.

The Union Minister said that COVID-19 pandemic has unprecedented impacts on the labour market. Myanmar has to face problems and challenges such as factory closures and massive layoffs caused by the pandemic.

He said that the government is working hard to control the pandemic, to revive the economy and to mitigate COVID-19 related impacts on the private sector.

During the COVID-19 crisis, workers who registered for social security under a social welfare programme received 40 per cent of their salaries as social security benefits. 

And insured workers who are quarantined received 60 per cent of their salaries as health coverage benefits and insured pregnant workers received 60 per cent of their salaries, according to the Union Minister. More than K65 billion has been approved for 1,534,174 insured workers.

In order to improve employment opportunities, citizen-owned companies have been granted local employment agency licenses since 2010 in accordance with the laws, and so far 101 companies have been licensed.

The Union Minister said that in the post-COVID-19 period, there would be more job opportunities for digitalization. He also called on the employment agencies to make labour market information accessible to job seekers and employers by finding new ways to use technology to provide services to them.

He said that the agencies need to enhance their capacities to provide effective online services to job seekers and employers. He also called on the agencies to hold job fairs.

He continued that the Local Employment Companies Association is established to provide good leadership. The agencies need to work collaboratively with each other in a transparent manner.

The Director-General of the Labour Department discussed the previous reports of the agencies.

The virtual meeting was participated by the Union Minister, Deputy Minister U Myint Kyaing, the Director-General, the Deputy Director-General, government officials, and representatives from the Local Employment Companies Association and employment agencies.

MNA (Translated by Maung Maung Swe)