19 Sep

Union Minister for Planning, Finance and Industry U Soe Win held a virtual meeting with World Bank Vice President for Asia-Pacific Region Ms Victoria Kwakwa from the ministry in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday. During the meeting, the Union Minister discussed matters relating to World Bank’s Myanmar Health Service Access Project, Myanmar COVID-19 Emergency Response Project and COVID-19 response in Myanmar during the pandemic. He expressed thanks to International Development Association (IDA) of World Bank for loans and cash assistance under financing programmes. He detailed about Myanmar economic situations, policies that were being laid down and economic relief programmes that were being implemented in accordance with COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan (CERP), World Bank’s Public Financial Management Project, Financial Sector Development Project, and Myanmar Economic Recovery and Reform Plan that will be launched soon.

Ms Victoria Kwakwa acknowledged that Myanmar is now facing challenges because of COVID-19 and discussed the matters relating to World Bank’s assistance for vaccine procurement if COVID-19 vaccine is successfully developed, and fulfillment of financial needs for Myanmar’s reform processes and health expenses. She also detailed about World Bank’s financial and technical assistance for COVID-19 relief and prevention processes, Country Partnership Framework for Myanmar (FY 2021-2023) and pipeline projects that were drawn up by World Bank, and the projects that are being carried out with loans and cash assistance from World Bank.

The meeting discussed matters relating to human capital development that will assist the development of Myanmar and World Bank’s assistance on increasing private sector participation. Deputy Ministers U Sett Aung and Dr Min Ye Paing Hein, Permanent Secretary U Tun Tun Naing and departmental officials, the World Bank Group Executive Director representing for the South East Asia (SEA) Group Ms Kulaya Tantitemit and Country Director for Myanmar, Cambodia and Lao PDR Ms Mariam Sherman also attended the meeting. 

MNA (Translated by Kyaw Zin Tun)