Finland four million Euros to UNDP for Myanmar

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has received 4 million Euros (approx. US$ 4.4 M) from the Finland government to support the agency’s work in Myanmar in the areas of democratic governance, local development and environmental sustainability.

Jarmo Kuuttila, Chargé d’ Affaires of the Diplomatic Mission of Finland said his government looked forward to deepening their partnership with UNDP.

“One of Finland’s development priorities is to support the democratization of political institutions and to improve equal opportunities of all people to participate in political decision-making. Similarly we aim to support the strengthening of public administration and the judiciary to produce better public services that are accessible to people,” he said.

According to the UNDP, this is the second tranche from the Nordic country towards UNDP’s five-year country programme for Myanmar (2013-2017), following allocation of 2 million Euros in 2014 which contributed to implementation of such important UNDP initiatives in Myanmar as strengthening of the parliament; rule of law; local governance mapping; public administration reform and many other programmes.

UNDP Country Director, Toily Kurbanov said that he was encouraged by the confidence and generous funding provided by the Government of Finland.

“With funding from Finland, UNDP has supported Myanmar’s transition in many ways. We helped rural women have a greater voice through the formation of the Rural Women’s Network. We are helping government improve service delivery through the step up of one-stop shops. At the Union level, we have supported the Hluttaw staff and the incoming parliamentarians,” he said.

“The new funding from Finland comes right in time to support next generation of reforms by the next Government in Myanmar and, by strengthening democratic institutions, it will go a long way in improving the lives of the people of Myanmar,” said Mr Kurbanov.

Finland is an important partner of UNDP and the UN around the globe. In Myanmar, Finland provides funding also to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

MARCH 14, 2016 | EDIT

Rahul gets notice from Ethics Committee of Parliament

MARCH 14, 2016

November last year, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had made public some documents, which showed that Mr Gandhi had reportedly claimed British nationality to set up a company in the UK. The Committee has asked Mr. Gandhi to reply whether he once declared himself a British citizen on the legal papers.

Talking to media outside Parliament today, Ethics Committee member, Arjun Ram Meghwal said once the Congress Vice President submits his reply, then the Committee will take a decision on it. He also rejected Congress political accusation in the matter, wondering whether BJP had asked Mr. Gandhi to fill up such information in the document.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi has said he will deal with the matter. According to Mr. Swamy’s documents, the Congress leader was the director and secretary of the company and he had called himself British on the annual returns of UK-based Backops Limited in 2005 and 2006. Rahul Gandhi has been issued a notice by the Ethics Committee of Parliament chaired BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani seeking his response on allegations related to declaration of his citizenship in the United Kingdom.

“We will deal with it,” Gandhi said on Monday to queries by reporters while the Congress reacted sharply, accusing the government of trying to divert attention from pressing issues facing the country.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had forwarded to the Ethics Committee the complaint of BJP MP Maheish Girri requesting for “appropriate inquiry” into party colleague Subramanian Swamy’s allegations that Gandhi had declared himself a British citizen to float a firm in that country.

“The Ethics Committee has issued a show cause notice asking him (Rahul Gandhi) how he showed his citizenship as British when he was in London and became a Director…,” Arjun Ram Meghwal, one of the committee members, told reporters outside Parliament today.