The seventh-day meeting of the third regular session of the third Pyithu Hluttaw was held at the Hluttaw Building in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday, attended by Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U Khin Yi, Deputy Speaker U Maung Maung Ohn, and parliamentarians. During the session, MPs raised 10 starred questions and tabled one motion concerning tourism facilitation, municipal tube-well water supply, land grant approvals, road and bridge upgrades, and affordable housing.
Replying to a query raised by U Soe Hla of Kyaikto constituency on easing foreign visitor entry to Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, Deputy Minister for Culture, Hotels and Tourism U Phyo Zaw Soe stated that an online clearance system has been introduced to streamline approvals. To enhance visitor convenience and security, the Tourist Police Force coordinates closely with local security personnel, while the advance submission window for package tours arranged by travel agencies has been relaxed from 14 days to 10 working days.
Addressing municipal and land-related queries, Nay Pyi Taw Council Member U Win Moe Khaing explained that supplying clean drinking water to high-elevation quarters in Mahlaing Township will require an estimated K298.6 million for drilling a six-inch tube-well, building storage tanks, and laying pipelines, which will be proposed for the 2028-2029 financial year. Regarding bus stops in Yangon, he stated that the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) has not granted a monopoly to FML Decaux Co Ltd, noting that the firm has fully complied with contract regulations and faces no punitive action. In response to questions on Insein Township housing schemes, he clarified that construction permits have not been issued for villa projects including 9-Avenue Villa, Palm Hill Villa, OASIS Villa, and Royal Ponnami Residences, adding that legal action under the 2018 YCDC Law has been taken where fencing was erected without authorization. For Hinthada Township, he noted that downtown land occupied by the Red Cross Society and the Maternal and Child Welfare Association will not be surrendered for private land grants, as the development affairs body plans to develop the site into a public recreation area.
Deputy Minister for Construction U Myo Myint answered multiple infrastructure and urban development questions. In Setoktara Township, Magway Region Government will allocate funds in FY 2028-2029 to repair 1.4 miles of heavily damaged gravel sections along the 16.1-mile Myinchaung Hill-Tapwin village-access road, with plans to concrete the route in phases. Touching on urban housing and trade, he highlighted ongoing initiatives providing low-cost and fair-value public rental housing in major cities, managing over 12,000 acres of industrial zones in Yangon alongside extensive agro-livestock zones, and relocating roadside vendors into designated municipal markets to maintain order. Regarding road networks in Ayeyawady Region, repairs on four furlongs of damaged macadam on the 12.5-mile Nyaunggon-Chaungphya-Thayetgon road in E inme Township are slated for FY 2027-2028, followed by new gravel paving from FY 2028-2029. In Ingapu Township, three furlongs of the Htugyi-Kanyutgon road will undergo gravel repairs in FY 2026-2027, with five furlongs of new gravel surfacing planned under the regional supplementary capital budget. For Tiddim Township, he explained that upgrading the 350-foot Manipur River suspension bridge along the Patzang-Helei road to a 60-tonne load capacity is not currently planned and will be considered only when future traffic demands it.
Following the question-and-answer session, Dr Shwe Pyi Soe from the Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) Township constituency tabled a motion urging the government to propose Myanmar’s traditional culinary dish Htamane and the classical weaving craft Lunyagyaw for inclusion on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The motion was seconded by U Nay Lin Aung from the North Okkalapa Township constituency.
The Speaker announced that the Hluttaw agreed to deliberate the proposal and invited interested MPs to submit their names for debate. The seventh-day meeting then concluded, with the eighth day scheduled to convene on 30 September. — MNA/ST
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