No rising crime rate might be because of government’s support to downtrodden people

24 June 2020
No rising crime rate might be because of government’s support to downtrodden people
Photo: Myanmar State Counsellor Office/Facebook

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said there was no rising crime rate during COVID-19 pandemic, and it might be because of support given to the lower strata of society by government.

She was speaking at the interactive meeting of ‘Impact on the Trade Sector by COVID-19’ held on June 23 with Deputy Minister of Economics and Commerce Ministry Aung Htoo, MD Win Win Tint of City Mart which a player in supply chain in Myanmar, and SME entrepreneur Thet Suu Htwe.

The State Counsellor added that the country should consider the long term benefit for the country far beyond COVID-19 period and the country did not need to worry about food security if it could wisely manage this issue.

The government has started a programme of supplying basic food items such as 8 pyi (one pyi equals to approx. 2 kg) of rice, cooking oil half viss (approx. 0.75 kg), salt half viss, pulses one viss (approx. 1.5 kg) and onion one viss (approx. 1.5 kg) to each family with low income or not having regular income since April 10 this year.

In a second support programme, the government is mulling giving cash assistance to low income or no regular income families. The government is planning to give cash assistance varying from 30-40,000 kyats to families staying in camps of internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing from their homes in conflict zones.