SAC Vice Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win addresses Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee meeting 5/2023
Nay Pyi Taw October 9
The Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee held the meeting 5/2023 at the Ministry of Commerce here at 2 pm, addressed by the committee chairman Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win.
Also present were union ministers U Win Shein, Lt-Gen Yar Pyae and U Tun Ohn, deputy ministers, Nay Pyi Taw Council member, the Revenue Appellate Tribunal chair, permanent secretaries, directors general and officials. Chairs of region and state illegal trade eradication special task forces took part in the meeting through video conferencing.
The Vice-Senior General said at his meeting with region/state chief ministers and chairs of self-administered zones and division, the Prime Minister gave a guidance, saying, “The State is implementing programs to eradicate illegal trade.
Illegal border trade has adverse effects on national income.
Trade with foreign countries should be conducted properly in accord with the law. Acts that violate the law should be exposed and action should be taken against the violators.”
At the National Defence and Security Council meeting, the PM also said, “A nation must have robust driving force in economy, politics and defence.
Strong economic driving force will enhance political and defence power or in other words, promote the political and defence driving force, and eventually,the country will become powerful.” Production and trade development is pivotal for national economic growth.
But illegal trade is the main culprit that is harming the production and trade sector.
Every country is facing illegal trade, but in Myanmar its root are strong and it is growing throughout the successive periods. Hence, severe action is required. If the problem cannot be handled properly, it may hurt the national economy and the public socio-economic progress. Hence, the anti-illicit trade program calls for effective checks and legal actions to reinforce the national economic drive.
During July and August transport of illegal rice by vessels, train and cars could be exposed.
In addition, attempts to transport illegal rice through Yangon Region could be stopped.
Moreover, 11 illegal containers were exposed at Thilawa Special Economic Zone.
Mon State illegal trade eradication special task force, acting on information, search the five cargo wagons in Mawlamyine Railway Station and found 1,659 bags of QR-codeless corn seeds on 2 August.
Further information led to the arrest of 51 suspicious cargo wagons on Bago-Mawlamyine railroad and another 37 at Bago Station.
The teams could arrest eight undocumented cars at Mayanchaung inspection gate.
They found undocumented bags of corn seed on a vessel sailing towards Mawlamyine from Yangon. As initial statements made by the captain and the company owner were different, the teams continued the search.
Civil servants could expose 91,359 bags (4567.95 tons) of undocumented illegal corn seeds at a current value of over Ks-2.9 billion on 88 cargo wagons, one vessel and eight cars. Hence, they together with their supervisors are honoured with pleasure and their work is acknowledged. The relevant ministries should apply reward and punishment programs and should reward public servants for their brilliant accomplishments.
Here, severe action should also be taken against the persons who violate the rules.
Regarding the seized items without evidence, management was made to confiscated the seized items as quickly as possible not for loss and waste, soonest take legal action against the companies who failed to do legal measures for harming the interests of the State and quickly auction the seized items off. As such, seized maize seeds could be procured without waste and loss, earning Ks-3.057 billion of revenue exceeding Ks-2.9 billion of target, confiscating over Ks-80 million as public finance rather than the target.
Thilawa Special Economic Zone systematically manages export and import measures of the State as well as G to G process. In so doing, outstanding service personnel exposed the attempts of some companies which imported the goods without import licence by abusing import licences of other companies. As such, more than 300,000 kilogrammes of import goods worth more than Ks-479 million could be confiscated as the public finance.
Smuggled items were seized in July and August thanks to endeavours of illegal trade eradication special task forces in regions and states and the steering committee.
Illegal trade eradication special task forces strived for seizing illegal trade worth Ks-10,445.742 million in 611 cases in July 2023 and Ks- 12,434.244 million in 540 cases in August. In comparison with the seizures, illegal trade items worth Ks-610.388 million in 369 cases were seized in July 2022 and Ks-7,002.613 million in 480 cases in August. Although this year’s cases and value of seizures exceeded that of previous year, indicating illegal trade process in both export and import measures. As such, the Vice-Senior General stressed that special task forces need to carefully expose and seize export and import measures in order to prevent illegal trade.
As export goods as well as import goods are managed by car, vessel and train in eradicating illegal trade, SOP must be schemed for the aviation export process in conformity with the current situation. The E-lock system is being implemented for checking transport of commodity as a six-month pilot project.
Officials have to cooperate in seeking strong and weak points of the E-lock system for use of containers and vans in respective phases in order to eradicate the illegal trade so as to implement such a system throughout the nation.
As seized maize seeds are perishable, action was soonest taken against offenders under the Customs Law and Export/ Import Law. So, these seeds could be procured without damage, earning the revenue rather than the expected. It depended on collaborative efforts on consideration based on legal affairs and rapid process. The Customs Law comprises the original law and bylaws. Due to its rules and regulation on prevention of loss for the owners, it needs to take a time for legal action like the Export/Import Law and confiscation for public finance. As such, it is necessary to consider amending the laws and bylaws to be confined with the situations if necessary. As laws are enacted by human, these should be amended by human but such act must be based on firm reasons. With regard to the illegal trade which is taking root in successive eras in Myanmar, cases of fuel and cooking oil including export and import measures are being exposed for taking action. Relevant departments need to supervise the acts of eradicating the illegal trade not to harm the State economy and the economic drive. Eradication of illegal trade can contribute to the State economy on one hand. As the illegal trade hinders market competitiveness of local businesses, officials need to place more emphasis on eradication of illegal trade.
Then, Steering Committee Secretary Deputy Minister for Commerce U Min Min clarified the progress in implementing the resolutions of the meeting (4/2023) and the activities of the Steering Committee.
Next, leader of the Task Force of the Steering Committee’s Office Deputy Director General U Aung Thwin Oo, Director General of the Transport Planning Department U Thint Myat Thu, Director General of the Central Equipment Statistics and Inspection Department U Han Win Aung, Director General of the Customs Department U Thein Swe, Director General of the Trade Department
U Myint Thura and Director General of the Food and Drug Control Department Professor Dr Khin Zaw read out the messages sent to the meeting (5/2023).
Steering Committee Vice Chairmen Union Ministers U Win Shein and Lt-Gen Yar Pyae and member Union Minister U Tun Ohn reported on illegal trade re-views, E-Lock system issues, laws, and regulations to be revised, seizures of drugs, controlled chemicals, illegal vehicles, foodstuff, medicines, and cosmetics and preventive measures, the sale of goods online illegally, and the use of the QR Code.
After that, those present at the meeting discussed their relevant sectors in the fight against illegal trade.
Then the leader of the Task Force of the Steering Committee’s Office read out the draft resolutions of the meeting (5/2023).
Later, the Vice-Senior General coordinated the matters related to the reports and discussions and concluded the meeting.