"Nay Pyi Taw, 19 March — U Saw Ba Thein of the Thaton constituency asked the Pyithu Hluttaw on Thursday about the prospect of creating a global market for local rubber and the disbursement of loans. Turning rubber into finished products is the first priority for the country to enter the international market, responded U Ohn Than, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation, adding that his ministry is working in tandem with companies from Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore in a bid to build more factories to manufacture finished products as well as enabling growers to earn more. Myanma Agricultural Development Bank has not made any plan to disburse loans to rubber growers, according to the deputy minister. U Ye Htun of the Sibaw constituency asked the lower house the number of total miles of roads across the country, their total cost and the possibility of contracting private companies. Deputy Minister for Construction U Soe Tint responded that his ministry has constructed over 24,900 miles of roads nationwide and that their annual maintenance requires over K390 billion. So far 27 private companies owned by Myanmar nationals have been permitted to construct 3,490 miles of roads under the BOT (build, operate and transfer) system, with new private companies invited, the deputy minister said. MPs also discussed the marriage bill on Myanmar Buddhist women and the population control healthcare bill."