Development of new Bawnin Village in Kalaw Township facilitated with water meters and electric meters. - Photo: Global New Light of Myanmar
YANGON: Myanmar will implement 40 smart villages in the fiscal year 2024-25 to narrow the development gap between urban and rural areas, Zarni Min, a director of the Department of Rural Development under the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, told Xinhua on Thursday (June 20).
"We want to provide rural areas with services similar to those in urban areas, such as improved roads, internet access, electricity, and digital payment services," he said.
A total of 88 smart villages were implemented in the fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24. Over 24,000 households have benefited from the implementation of 88 smart villages, Zarni Min said.
This fiscal year, 40 additional smart villages will be implemented, he added.
The five-year smart village project, which began in the 2022-23 fiscal year, has boosted manufacturing businesses in agriculture and livestock, created job opportunities, increased family incomes, improved basic infrastructures, enhanced social standards, and provided access to electricity in the villages, he added.
According to Zarni Min, the objectives of implementing smart villages include improving basic infrastructure, enhancing the social standards of villagers, boosting the village economy through financial services and IT support, creating sustainable and enjoyable village environments compatible with nature, and continuously developing the capacities of village organisations. - Xinhua/ANN
