HLUTTAW SESSIONS:- PYIDAUNGSU HLUTTAW: UEC defends its proposed budget for general election: "Nay Pyi Taw, 17 March — The 2015 General Election is a national duty and the proposed budget for the Union Election Commission should be considered in this light, a UEC member told representatives at the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw session on Tuesday. One representative of the house said the K 5,700.811 million for reception under the budget is enough to build 126 rural healthcare centres, calling for it to be cut. At the session, Union Election Commission member U Win Ko explained that the proposed budget of the commission includes K 2.5 million for reception costs and K 5,698.311 million for costs of meals for volunteers for voting booths, as well as sub-commission chairmen and secretaries of sub-commissions, who do not receive any salaries or allowances. As there will be 46,489 voting booths in the entire country in 2015 General Election, cutting the proposed budget should be considered in light of the national duty of holding the general election, he added. Union Minister for Information U Ye Htut said that money the ministry earned is the net profits of the ministry from newspapers, advertisements and other general earnings, after deducting production costs, management costs and commercial taxes. The union minister added that general earnings of the News and Periodicals Enterprise, which reaches K 100 million every year, comes from newspapers and advertisements, while costs for assets are divided into yearly expenditure, which is paid as annual expenditure to the government."...AMYOTHA HLUTTAW: Home Affairs sees no need to share heavy workload: "Nay Pyi Taw, 17 March — The deputy minister of Home Affairs rebuffed a proposal to reduce the ministry?s heavy workload put before the Amyotha Hluttaw on Tuesday. Saying the ministry does not see the need to share it responsibilities, Maj-Gen Kyaw Zan Myint explained that all of its departments work together under close supervision of regional governments and the Nay Pyi Taw council. He said the ministry, as a law enforcement body, continues to implement its goals in line with guidelines and policies laid down by the government. He added the brigades and departments under the ministry work together to carry out measures for national security, rule of law and order, control of narcotic drugs, regional development activities and public services in all parts of the country."...PYITHU HLUTTAW: Land plots untenanted subject to fines, confiscation: Pyithu Hluttaw: "Nay Pyi Taw, 17 March — Owners of unoccupied plots of land in Yangon Region industrial zones face fines or having their land confiscated, the secretary of the Industrial Development Committee told the Pyithu Hluttaw on Tuesday. Responding to a question about the process for reclaiming such plots, he said the city has 24 industrial zones with over 10,000 land plots, of which 2,339 are still untenanted. ?Legal action ranges from fines to surrender of the plots,” he said. Regarding a question of whether region and state governments have the rights to sell unlicensed vehicles with court clearances by tender, the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development said the Ministry of Commerce will designate floor prices for such vehicles to be sold by open tender to ensure compatible prices of officially imported vehicles. Region and state governments are required to seek approval from the central government to put unlicensed vehicles with court clearances to tender, according to NPED. The Ministry of Industry responded to a question with respect to the registration of small and medium enterprises and the availability of loans, saying that different ministries undertake registration of different industries according to the law. SMEs are to register at the Ministry of Industry, microenterprises at the Ministry of Cooperative, rice and bean mills at the Ministry of Commerce, fishery products at the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development, and tourism industries at the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. Commercial hubs like Yangon Region, Mandalay Region, Ayeyawady Region, Sagaing Region and Shan State receive loans of K2 billion each while loans of K1b go to each of the remaining regions, states and council areas. The Small and Medium Industrial Development Bank disburses loans to enterprises after the scrutiny of their assets by authorities."..... OTHER DOMESTIC NEWS: Livestock ministry opens applications to run farms, factories through JV...Peace talks on nationwide ceasefire agreement resume...Designer hits right note with conference logo...MoT launches probe into deadly ferry sinking, to inspect all state-owned vessels...Researchers find rare bird species in Chin Hills...30 released following arrests at protest: Home Affairs...Government troops take strategic rebels? hilly bases...Royal buildings completed to preserve Myanmar ancient heritage...Region Chief Minister on inspection tour of industrial city...Farms to use wasp species to control pests...Farmers in Taungtha Tsp start cultivation of summer paddy and crops...Meeting held to discuss reforms in the draft Myanmar Companies Law...Political parties apply for registration at UEC...Local cancer non-profit joins worldwide body in fight against disease...Agriculturists share knowledge with farmers for cultivation of crops...Myanmar Clothing Bank to help street children in Yangon suburbs...Ten new schools in Rakhine State to admit students from both communities..... EXTERNAL RELATIONS: UEC briefs US Ambassador, USAID on plans for 2015 vote...Mitsubishi Electric inks deal on technical training...Myanmar, USAID seek ways for Myanmar?s development...Germany?s KI Pharma eyes investing in Myanmar?s pharmaceutical industry...Workshop on International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights...Energy ministry to store diesel for future use...Mandalay university students get training programme in India..... "PERSPECTIVES": "False friends worse than outright enemies" by Aung Khin..... ARTICLE: "Happiness: a Fundamental Right for All" by Dr Aung Soe (Retired State Medical Superintendent)