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Legislative Structure and essence of future state (7)

The Pyithu Hluttaw will be formed with at most 440 members and the Amyotha Hluttaw with 224 members to carry out legislative functions in accordance with the basic principles. And the two Hluttaws combined will be called the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the highest body of legislature of the Union. Similarly, the Region or State will be constituted with a legislative Hluttaw each alongside self-administered division leading body and self-administered zone leading bodies.

In respect of the sharing of legislative power for legislative bodies, the power to enact laws for the defence and security sector, the foreign affairs sector and the judicial sectors is vested in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw formed with the Pyithu Hluttaw and the Amyotha Hluttaw.

The National Convention has adopted the detailed basic principles on the finance and planning sector with the aim of raising the standard of living of the national people and ensuring the national economic development.
They are:

- the State shall prioritize the higher living standard of the people and accumulation of general investments;

- the State shall render assistance to socio-economic development covering education, health, economy and transportation of less developed national races;

- the State shall provide such assistance as technology, capital, machinery and raw material for development of national economy;

- the State shall not nationalize business undertakings; and

- the State shall not demonetize the legal tender currency in circulation.

For Myanmar, financial and administrative plans need to be in conformity with the conditions of the Union as well as the Region or State concerned to raise the standard of living of the people and to ensure the development of general capitals.
That’s why the National Convention, regarding the finance and planning sector, prescribes 25 points in the Union Legislative List, and 11 points in the Region or State Legislative List. The points stipulated in the Union Legislative List are:

(1) The Union budget

(2) The Union Fund

(3) Currency and coinage

(4) The Central Bank of Myanmar and financial institutions

(5) Foreign Exchange control

(6) Capital and money market

(7) Insurance

(8) Income tax

(9) Commercial tax

(10) Stamp duty

(11) Customs

(12) State lottery

(13) Tax appeal

(14) Service enterprises of the Union

(15) Disposal of Union-owned property through sale or rent or other means

(16) Disbursement of loans from the Union funds

(17) Investment with the Union funds

(18) Loans borrowed from inside and outside the country

(19) Acquisitions of the Union

(20) External financial assistance and aid

(21) National Plan

(22) Data collection

(23) National Archives

(24) Investment, and

(25) Inspection of statistics.

The 11 points in the Region or State Legislative List are:

(1) The Region or State Budget

(2) The Region or State Fund

(3) Land revenue

(4) Excise duties (excluding narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances)

(5) Development Affairs revenues such as building and land revenue, water tax, street tax, wheel tax

(6) Service enterprises of the Regions or States

(7) Disposal of the Region or State-owned property through sale, rent or other means

(8) Disbursement of loans within the country from the Regional or State Fund

(9) Investment of funds from the Regional or State Fund within the country

(10) Regional projects

(11) Small loans enterprise.

The National Convention delegates are doing their best in cooperation with the personnel concerned in adopting the detailed basic principles for the future state to be able to avert undesirable consequences.

The enumeration of the Region or State Budget in the Region or State Legislative List is a testament to the goodwill the State leaders equally show to the national people, and such an activity fully represents the essence of democracy.

The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw will draw and promulgate the Union Budget to enable the areas across the nation to stand equally. So will the Region or State Hluttaw.

The National Convention delegates are thus holding discussions with great care to ensure that Myanmar that is carrying out anti-narcotic drugs campaign as national duty will not encounter such undesirable effects we has faced during the time of 1947 constitution.

The disbursement of loans within the country from the Regional or State Fund, and investment of funds from the Region or State Fund within the country stipulated in the legislative list are designed to bring progress to the finance and planning sector of the Regions or States.

The Regions and States are vested with the power, when necessary, to lend loans from the funds of the Region or State for the development of economic and social affairs of respective regions and states. Moreover, when the funds of the Region or State accumulate, more investments can be made within the nation, and the profits will be added to the funds of the Region or State. That is designed to enable the future State to bring direct or indirect benefits to the people of respective regions and states.

Today, the Government has been implementing special projects and regional projects throughout the nation.

There must be projects concerning the entire Union for the development of the future State. And there should also be regional projects to be implemented by the Region or State concerned. The regional projects are enumerated in the Region or State Legislative List so as to enact laws on the regional projects laid down and submitted by respective regions and states to the Region of State Hluttaw concerned.

The 1947 Constitution hardly included matters relating to the finance and planning sector for the national development. But, the State Legislative List of the 1947 Constitution enumerated the power to enact laws on Taxes on entertainment, amusements, betting and gambling. It is most encouraging to learn that the sector “Legislature” being formulated at the ongoing National Convention by the State leaders is absolutely free from such improper laws, but stipulates matters for equitable development of all parts of the nation such as regional projects.
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