Bago Region government Chief Minister Win Thein told Mizzima that he would take action against local administrators who distributed COVID cash assistance not in accordance with the prescribed criteria.

“The state distributed this COVID cash assistance to regions and states with existing financial proportions so that our Bago Region got much money as we have a considerable number of low income people. And then the ward-level administrators compiled the list of beneficiaries for this cash assistance with a little trouble in determining who they have to pay. They have to take decisions on which roadside vendors must be paid even in this single category as there are many such poor vendors in our region because we don’t have enough money to pay all of them. So there will be many complaints lodged against them in the administrative sector but we have prescribed norms and criteria in distributing this fund. They cannot give this fund unnecessarily to car owners, jewellers and businessmen. We have our own tight criteria. If they distribute this fund to those who do not deserve to receive it action will be taken,” he said.

State gives COVID cash assistance to people in Bago, Thannatpin and Kawa Townships living in two categories of ‘Stay Home’ area at the rate of 40,000 kyats each and those in ‘non-stay home’ areas at 20,000 kyats each, he added.