Most individuals outside of Myanmar would respond, “political stability,” if asked what it would take for the nation to develop like its neighbors.
Those parties that value education and harmony would respond with “law and order,” or more accurately, its enforcement.
On the other hand, the group that supports terrorism would say “we want democracy” over and over again without considering what it actually means.
I have written numerous pieces in the past lamenting the lack of law and order. At the same time, even while there may be laws and regulations in place for some parts of the business sector, a major contributing element and self-fulfilling downward spiral in terms of development is the lack of accepted standards everywhere.
For example, condominium law lacks rules and regulations, thus there is no enforcement. If standards and regulations aren’t enforced, then why are they necessary in the first place?
There is no enforcement since there are no standards to uphold. Why even spend effort developing standards if they are not going to be enforced?
Why standards are so important ?
Without norms for behavior, expectations, or anything else, it is impossible to determine what has to be changed in order to improve performance or to assess the results of previous adjustments.
It’s challenging to build upon turmoil. Consider a straightforward application, grievance, or letter submitted to YCDC or the government.
Altering the land title names at the land registration office is another option to consider.For example, condominium law lacks rules and regulations, thus there is no enforcement.
If standards and regulations aren’t enforced, then why are they necessary in the first place? There is no enforcement since there are no standards to uphold. Why even spend effort developing standards if they are not going to be enforced?
The creator of the renowned Toyota Production System, Taiichi Ohno, famously stated that the major goal of standards is to establish and uphold standard work.
Without a uniform baseline, improvements cannot be made and perfected. It will be extremely difficult to streamline procedures if certain divisions or individuals do not finish tasks in the same manner.
Higher standards of work will result in happy consumers and higher quality.There is much to lose by doing nothing when it comes to standardizing work and service levels.
Respect for best practices
Just as there are numerous methods to get from point A to point B, so too may Myanmar progress. or how applications, requests, and complaints should be handled by the government department.
That being said, the optimal or most efficient approach depends on the data that is now accessible. Standard work guarantees that every worker uses the most effective approach currently available for completing a task.
Consider paying your bills at EPC, for instance. Although the bill stated that you could pay with a check, you cannot!
A quicker route to progress, as Ohno already mentioned. A procedure that is not well-documented, used inconsistently, and not widely understood (i.e., without standards or SOPs) cannot be improved.
You cannot assess the work’s potential for improvement or determine whether an improvement was successful until you have mapped out the existing condition of the work.
Imagine how policy may change at the drop of a hat, depending on the mood from above.
More engagement and less stress
Imagine interacting with government agencies with greater engagement and reduced stress. Without a regular response time, the public becomes anxious and breaks up or bribes in an attempt to find out the outcome of their correspondence, which stresses the civil service and ultimately causes them to retreat from interaction with the public. This is how most government departments operate.
Reduces defects and wastes
One method of incorporating mistake proofing into the procedure is through Standard Work. Often, breaking from the recommended practice leads to defects and bad quality.
The goal of Standard Work is to do away with these exclusions. Have you ever wondered why so few government agencies here disclose standard processing, waiting, and other time-frames?
Increased customer satisfaction
When customers receive high-quality products on schedule, they are happy. For most civil servants, that is probably the last thing on their minds.
Improved pricing
Standards guarantee that goods supplied here can be directly compared to comparable goods in the neighboring countries, protecting customers from being taken advantage of. Buyers beware, particularly with internet retailers.
Ability to expand quickly
We can appoint the most knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced workers on the globe, and we can rely on them to make their own decisions.
Sadly, such does not constitute growth. As nations expand, they must rely less on exceptional individuals and more on excellent systems.
The demise of economic progress during the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi era was most likely brought about by the collapse or rejection of the majority of standards established under President Thein Sein.
More focus on strategic objectives
Greater emphasis on strategic goals will allow leaders to concentrate on strategic priorities, good governance, and other value-added initiatives, as they won’t have to worry about handling every small product defect or service complaint that comes up.
Minimize corruption
When there are criteria to meet, there is less opportunity for backroom deals or bargaining to get better results. Corruption is only encouraged by a lack of norms. Here, do we really need any examples?
What products are costing Myanmar dear
Have you ever wondered why everyone in Myanmar wants to start a goldsmith shop? Because the vendor can earn by a lakh or two even if they purchase pure gold from the retailer (1 tical).
This kind of arbitrage occurs not because the shop or seller are particularly clever, but rather because 14 Pears (2 Yways) of gold are being sold for the price of 15 Pears (the amount of gold in a tical). It talks about how every time gold is purchased, the entire nation gets duped.
Edible oil is the second product that does not adhere to any uniform requirements. While high-quality locally produced sesame and peanut oils are available, their costs are higher than those of unhealthy palm oil or palm oil that is passed off as another vegetable or peanut oil by adding flavoring.
People with poor finances are often forced to eat drainage oil with flavor added, forcing them to consume carcinogens that would decrease their life span through an increased risk of contracting dreaded diseases because there are no regulations and no enforcement.
In the field of medicine and healthcare services, Myanmar is also footing the bill for subpar care. Most physicians and specialized consultants arrive at hospitals and clinics late, demonstrating a lack of regard for their patients.
Many pharmacies sell counterfeit medications, including antibiotics. Standards and enforcement also don’t exist.
Consequently, the wealthy ended up traveling to Thailand and Singapore for medical visits, depriving the nation of hard-earned US dollars, while the impoverished ended up paying a lifetime of suffering for subpar services and counterfeit goods.
Inadequate construction standards also lead to an increase in accidents and disgruntled clients. At least two things that Myanmar contractors are notorious for lacking are waterproofing and maintaining a clean work site both before and after the construction phase.
While the latter results in an ugly atmosphere that represents the low standards within the sector, the former causes reworks due to water leaks through the walls or the roof, especially when it’s raining.
As was already indicated, the absence of standards in the civil service is a significant loss for the nation as a whole, squandering time for everyone and encouraging corruption everywhere.
A lack of discipline among the populace and fraudulent actions in all spheres of trade have also resulted from a lack of standards.
Imagine people spitting out their clean, attractive betel nut residual juice after they’ve chewed on internet scams and frauds that occurred outside of Myanmar’s borders.
Obtaining phony academic credentials and lying on resumes have also become prevalent. The requirement to test candidates for competencies prior to hiring them raises the expense of doing business.
Myanmar will remain an ASEAN backwater as long as standards are not established in all spheres of commerce and employment and are not strictly enforced.
According to a notorious former leader, Myanmar will surpass Singapore in 20 years, and Singapore can also get insights from Myanmar. You can tell that this last claim is utterly absurd after reading this post!
