7 July

Vice President U Henry Van Thio delivered a speech at the 2019 International Cooperative Day event held at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Department of Cooperative in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.

First the opening ceremony of the 2019 International Cooperative Day sales festival was held in front of the Department of Cooperative where Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Dr Aung Thu, Deputy Minister U Hla Kyaw, Amyotha Hluttaw Agriculture, Livestock Breeding and Fishery Development Committee Chairman U Aung Kyi Nyunt and officials cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Next the 2019 International Cooperative Day event was held in the meeting hall of the Department of Cooperative. The event started with a song on cooperatives sung by Saw Pho Khwa.

In his speech to the event Vice President U Henry Van Thio said the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) was formed in 1895 with the aim of establishing and increasing friendship and cooperation among international cooperative societies. Central Cooperative Society registered in Department of Cooperative became a member of ICA in 1993. As a member country of ICA it is participating in the movements and activities of ICA.

During the 94th United Nations General Assembly held in 1994 the first Saturday of July was designated as International Day of Cooperatives. Cooperative societies all over the world were commemorating the day country wise every year and this was the 25th time the day had been celebrated in Myanmar.

According to this year’s International Cooperative Day theme of “Inclusive Development and Decent Work” cooperatives were urged by ICA to cooperate diagonally and vertically, establish a society that had justice and fairness in worksites, protect and maintain the present employment capabilities, develop human resources and become people centered cooperative works. Each country of the world had been implementing the 17 sustainable development goals to 2030 set by United Nations. ICA was seen to be urging the world’s cooperative societies to effectively and visibly implement the United Nations sustainable development goal 8 that included “Inclusive Development and Decent Work.” In implementing this goal 8 country wise increase of per capita income was to be maintained; give priority to product manufacturing sector and sector where labor force is utilized; create appropriate jobs; raise development policies that encourage taking business risks, creativity and reforms; youths and handicap persons including all men and women to have full employment and have the same salary and wages; eradicate forced labor of child workers; increase work site safety for all workers and protect workers’ rights; implement policies to create job opportunities in 2030; strengthen financial services; and increase trade support and assistance as a priority.

Today’s world faces challenges of gap in rich and poor, social and economic inequalities. It also faces problems of wars, hunger, deteriorating natural environment, natural disasters, epidemics and human trafficking. Cooperative societies were to work towards mitigating such inequalities, conflicts and challenges.

In 2012, the world’s cooperative societies were able to create jobs for more than 100 million people and at the moment it was creating jobs for more than 279 million people.

With regard to the Myanmar cooperatives sector, financial support provided to rural farmers were effective and the momentum of success need to be maintained remarked the Vice President.

In today’s event agriculture cooperative members who had repaid their 11th loan will be granted a 12th small investment loan of Ks 122.992 billion, K 1.11 billion loan to upgrade 3,753 acres of farmland to mechanized farm system and K 0.134 billion loan for seed producing cooperatives through the Central Cooperative Society. Members of cooperatives in states and regions were urged to be provided with these loans systematically and speedily.

The cooperative sector participating in agriculture sector policy and work processes support the country’s development. It was seen and heard that cooperative works in the countries of the world were succeeding and developing to support the socio-economic development of the respective countries. To have similar cooperative sector development in our country cooperatives were urged to conduct more work than the present in agriculture, livestock breeding and production sectors. Seed producing cooperatives and agriculture support service cooperatives were to expand the work of agriculture input sales according to the wish of the farmers. Cooperatives were urged to support and assist through the entire chain of increasing agriculture productivity.

During the time when efforts were being made towards socio-economic development Myanmar cooperatives were urged to develop the society, establish a society that had justice and fairness in worksites, protect and maintain the present employment capabilities and develop human resources, said the Vice President.

Next, Union Minister Dr Aung Thu explained about the International Cooperative Day and Central Cooperative Society executive committee member Dr Toe Nanda Tin read a message sent by ICA.

Afterwards Union Minister Dr. Aung Thu, Union Attorney-General U Tun Tun Oo, Union Ministers U Thant Sin Maung, Nai Thet Lwin and U Thaung Tun, Deputy Minister U Hla Kyaw and Amyotha Hluttaw Agriculture, Livestock Breeding and Fishery Development Committee Chairman U Aung Kyi Nyunt presented small investment loans to states and regions, loans to seed production works and agriculture upgrade works, awards to best performing cooperatives, best performing cooperatives in manufacturing, service and trade sectors, all round outstanding cooperatives and best booths in the exhibition.

Vice President U Henry Van Thio and persons attending the event then took commemorative group photos and inspected the sales festival and booths.

The following dignitaries and senior officials were present at the above event:

Union Ministers Dr Aung Thu, U Thant Sin Maung, U Thaung Tun and Nai Thet Lwin, Union Attorney General U Tun Tun Oo, Deputy Minister U Hla Kyaw, Hluttaw representatives, Nay Pyi Taw Development Committee members, Permanent Secretaries, Directors General, Central Cooperative Society, state/region cooperatives chairmen and board of directors, representatives of INGOs and NGOs, cooperative members and officials. — MNA (Translated by Zaw Min)