The Chin State government has dedicated 61 percent of its entire budget to the construction of roads and bridges during the 2018-2019 financial year.

According to the financial report, the state has a budget of nearly 100 billion kyat (US$65.24 million), with more than 60 percent of the funds allocated to projects implemented by the construction ministry.

“Most of the budget is spent on road construction. Transportation on roads is not good in Chin State, so we have to spend [to make it better],” U Soe Htet, the state’s municipal minister, told Khonumthung, adding that funds from both the Union and state budgets will be spent on highways.

“Many people ask why we are spending so much on road construction, because Chin State depends on agriculture. Bad roads are also a major problem. There is no link between towns. This is a big problem,” he explained. The Chin State government has also allocated 19 percent of its budget to running the state’s administration, eight percent to the electricity and energy ministry, six percent to the municipal ministry, and smaller sums to ministries including home affairs, agriculture, health, and natural resources.