Some Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators for Myanmar are still lagging behind those of neighbouring countries and hence need to be developed, according to Dr Wah Wah Maung, director general of Central Statistics Organisation (CSO).

The SDG Baseline Indicator report released on October 29 is a first attempt at compiling the baseline data that currently exists on Myanmar for the SDGs. The publication discusses and explains the available data and offers comparison to the regional and international level.

The report stated that reliable and accurate data that reflects the current situations of the country is indispensible to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the SDGs. 196 Indicators are presented in the publication out of the total 320 “split” indicators. Hence, only 61 percent of SDG indicators are available for Myanmar.

The indicators belong to a framework for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The framework was developed by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) and adopted in March 2016.

“When compared to neighbouring countries, some indicators for Myanmar are very much in need of development. 

“We will have to make action plans to implement them after looking at the requirements. We will have to allocate budgets. When requesting development assistance, we need to ask for those areas which we need such assistant. Statistics talks,” she said at the briefing on the report held on November 1.

Myanmar is among the countries which failed to achieve the targets set out by the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). These are eight goals that all 191 UN member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015, tackling poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women. In order to carry on the goals, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at a UN Summit in 2015 which covers the SDGs.

Under the SDG framework, countries will mobilise efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

The director general explained that, with the whole world making efforts to implement the SDGs, Myanmar should measure the conditions of the country and disclose the information to the international community. 
Raising the bar

According to previous surveys, poverty rates of the country stood at 32pc in 2005 and 36pc in 2010. Joint-survey with World Bank estimated Myanmar poverty rate at 19.4pc in 2015. However, the concept of poverty has changed, she added. This change has been accompanied by changes in the approach in measuring and definition poverty.

Previously, poverty referred to basic income and basic education. Nowadays, mere literacy is no longer sufficient, according to the SDGs, and people need to undertake learning to acquire skills and training in order to make a living, Dr Wah Wah Maung went further. Measuring standards have been raised.

“In poverty surveys, not only income conditions like having income or no income, and high or low income are collected, but also other information such as health service access, education access and right to medical treatment,” she noted. The country requires steady and stable power supply to allow the economy to work and alleviate poverty.

According to the Poverty and Living Conditions Survey, Myanmar poverty rate is estimated to be 26pc. Since any daily income of a family less than US$1.25 is defined as below the poverty line, one out of four people in Myanmar are living below the poverty line.

Dr Wah Wah Maung stated that policymakers will have to look for solutions, draft plans to implement the solutions and allocate the necessary resources to make it work.

Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/sdg-indicators-are-lagging-behind-neighbours.html