New administration in Naypyidaw forms committees; Fuel rationing measures to include work-from-home

New administration in Naypyidaw forms committees

At the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house of parliament, in Naypyidaw on Monday a chair and secretary of the Bill and Public Accounts Committees were chosen. The Bill Committee, which is responsible for scrutinizing proposed legislation to ensure it complies with the Constitution, will be chaired by Nanda Kyaw Swa with Thein Tun U as secretary. The Public Accounts Committee will be chaired by Tayza Kyaw with Tin Aung Chit as secretary.

All were elected as members of the military-proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in the 2025-26 elections. Nanda Kyaw Swa, the USDP deputy speaker under President Thein Sein’s administration from 2011-16, was elected in Yangon Region’s Dagon Township. Thein Tun U was elected in Mandalay Region’s Amarapura Township. Tayza Kyaw in Mandalay’s Aungmyaythazan Township. Tin Aung Chit was elected in Magway Region’s Aunglan Township.

Two more standing committees are expected to be formed during the lower house’s third session on Tuesday. Each standing committee will have 13 members. The Pyitthu Hluttaw convened for the first time since the 2021 military coup on March 16, Khin Yi, the USDP chairperson, and Maung Maung Ohn, the regime minister of information, were appointed speaker and deputy speaker. The military’s elections took place from Dec. 28 to Jan. 25.

Fuel rationing measures to include work-from-home

The regime’s National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) announced on Sunday that regime employees are required to work from home every Wednesday starting on March 25 until further notice. It added that more fuel rationing measures will begin this week by restricting vehicle owners from purchasing fuel from once every 24 hours to once or twice a week depending on the vehicle’s engine power.

The NDSC claimed on March 22 that Burma now has a 50-day fuel reserve rather than the 40-day reserve it mentioned on March 4. It stated that the new measures are intended to “prepare for future energy challenges” with ongoing disruptions to the global supply chain due to escalating hostilities in the ​Middle East with the Iran War, which began with American and Israeli attacks on Tehran on Feb. 28.

The NDSC also ordered the private sector to implement work from home arrangements for employees. The new fuel-saving measures follow the regime Ministry of Energy’s fuel rationing system in Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw and the Shan State capital Taunggyi which took effect on March 12. At least three airlines halted selling tickets for domestic flights March 20-23, citing an aviation fuel shortage.