Pilot Project to Register Disabled People for Welfare
Pilot Project to Register Disabled People for Welfare
Myanmar Times, 01 Feb 2019
URL: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/pilot-project-register-disabled-people-welfare.htm
Disabled people will be registered in four regions and states in a pilot project to ensure that they get government welfare benefits, said U Soe Aung, deputy minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
He said the benefits include financial assistance, education, health and jobs. The pilot project will be conducted in Magwe, Bago, Mon, Karen, he told the regular session of the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) on Thursday in Nay Pyi Taw.
Funds have already been disbursed for the project, he said.
Myanmar enacted a law to ensure the rights of the disabled in 2015 and the by-law was passed in December 2017. In a meeting last December, a national committee was set up to implement the law, vowing to protect the rights of the disabled.
The committee will work with government agencies to ensure that disabled people get an education and health care, and with businesses to create jobs for them.
“Businesses will be monitored to ensure that they hire the requisite number of people with disabilities. If they don’t, they will have to contribute to the fund intended for the disabled. Tax incentives will be granted for employing disabled people,” said U Soe Aung.
He said the government spent about K2.3 billion on more than 50,000 disabled people from April 2017 to January. A fund will be set up to help implement the provisions of the law this year.
He said the benefits include financial assistance, education, health and jobs. The pilot project will be conducted in Magwe, Bago, Mon, Karen, he told the regular session of the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) on Thursday in Nay Pyi Taw.
Funds have already been disbursed for the project, he said.
Myanmar enacted a law to ensure the rights of the disabled in 2015 and the by-law was passed in December 2017. In a meeting last December, a national committee was set up to implement the law, vowing to protect the rights of the disabled.
The committee will work with government agencies to ensure that disabled people get an education and health care, and with businesses to create jobs for them.
“Businesses will be monitored to ensure that they hire the requisite number of people with disabilities. If they don’t, they will have to contribute to the fund intended for the disabled. Tax incentives will be granted for employing disabled people,” said U Soe Aung.
He said the government spent about K2.3 billion on more than 50,000 disabled people from April 2017 to January. A fund will be set up to help implement the provisions of the law this year.