"Nay Pyi Taw, 26 March — Finance Union Minister U Win Shein explained the section of expenditure reduction included in the union budgets bill at the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw here on Thursday. According to the union minister, over K 8 billion was reduced from the budgets of the offices of Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw, the constitutional tribunal and 14 ministries. In connection with increased salaries for government employees, he said the new salaries range from K 120,000 in minimum to K 500,000 in maximum. The gap between the lowest and the highest salaries is 4.2 times, with the union minister saying that separate announcements will be made on new rates of salaries for pensioners and other fringe benefits for government staff assigned in remote areas. Dr Kan Zaw, Union Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, briefed the parliament on the first five-year national development plan from 2011-2012 to 2015- 2016, which is part of the 20-year all-round national development project from 2011-2012 to 2030-2031. The first five-year plan includes rural development and poverty reduction, anti- corruption, reinforcement of rule of law, reconstruction of the country?s economic institutions, state-owned investments, citizen investments, foreign investments and control of inflation."