He was scheduled to announce the arrangement of ministries and the ministerial appointments to Parliament today.

Ethnic minority MPs welcomed his proposal to form an ethnic affairs ministry, one of 21 ministries compared to 36 under President Thein Sein’s administration.

“We support and welcome the proposal as we are ethnic minorities. We called for a ministry like this five years ago. Ethnic representation should be increased. The formation of an ethnic affairs ministry builds a bridge towards the peace process. The ministry should ease the suffering of the ethnic groups in the fields of education and health,” Arakan National Party Lower House MP Khin Saw Wai for Rathedaung said.

He noted that the ministry’s main task should be to tackle armed conflicts and involve all groups into the peace process.

“Ethnic rights should no longer need to be demanded but we still suffer from loss of human rights. Development is slow. We hope this ministry will not need to be permanent,” said Upper House MP Sai Wan Hlaing Kham of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy.

Htin Kyaw’s list showed that 10 ministries would be axed: the ministries of co-operatives, mines, rail transport, sports, science and technology and five president’s offices. Twelve ministries will be combined into six.

New bodies include the ministries of Culture and Religious Affairs, Telecommunications and Transport, and Electric Power and Energy. The Ministry of Finance and Revenue is being formed from the ministries of National Planning and Economics, Labour, Employment and Social Security, and Immigration and Manpower.

The Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry is going to be united with the Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development Ministry.

New organisations include the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and the Ministry of the President’s Office.

People involved in national sports last week expressed no concern about the proposal to scrap the Sports Ministry and transfer jobs to a suitable ministry.

Displeased with past poor performance of the ministry, which was established in 1996, they are convinced that there should not be a problem as long as the right person is assigned to strengthen the sector.

Myanmar won more than 80 gold medals at the 27th SEA Games hosted in the country. However, Myanmar won only 12 gold medals in the previous SEA Games held in Singapore.

“I don’t think there will be much impact. What matters is the management system and budget allocation. As such, sports policies can be handled by a department. It is too soon to comment on it,” said Banny Tin Aung, former deputy director of the Department of Sports and Physical Education and former secretary of the Myanmar Football Federation.

Than Toe Aung, the coach of the Myanmar national football team as well as former national footballer, said: “The one who leads the sports must be patriotic and devoted. In fact, the Ministry of Sports could not perform well in the past. There has been no programme whatsoever to draw in young athletes. If the incoming government can do this, there will be more new blood.”

Parliamentary Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than has announced that there will be 21 ministries and 18 ministers in the new cabinet.

The ministries are:

1) Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2) Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock-Fisheries and Irrigation

3) Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications

4) Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs

5) Ministry of Resource and Environmental Conservation

6) Ministry of Electric Power and Energy

7) Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Man Power

8) Ministry of Planning and Finance

9) Ministry of Industry

10) Ministry of Health

11) Ministry of Education

12) Ministry of Construction

13) Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement

14) Ministry of Hotels and Tourism

15) Ministry of Economics and Commerce

16) Ministry of Information

17) Ministry of Ethnic Affairs

18) Ministry of the President’s Office

19) Ministry of Defence

20) Ministry of Home Affairs

21) Ministry of Border Affairs