Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice- Senior General Soe Win attends and addresses Coordination Meeting 3/2023 of Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee
NAY PYI TAW May 26
The Coordination Meeting (3/2023) of Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee was held at the Ministry of Commerce in Nay Pyi Taw this afternoon and Chairman of the Steering Committee Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice- Senior General Soe Win attended and addressed it.
The meeting was also attended by Union Ministers Lt-Gen Soe Htut, U Win Shein and U Aung Naing Oo, deputy ministers, members of Nay Pyi Taw Council, the Chairman of Revenue Appellate Tribunal, permanent secretaries, directors-general, and officials. Chairmen of region and state illegal trade eradication special teams attended it through video conferencing.
In his address at the meeting, it has been the 9th meeting of the Steering Committee and 280 decisions have been made. In terms of reforms and measures taken, it was able to start the project of building Nyaung Khar Shay permanent checkpoint. Cargo vehicles on the trade course could be checked with the QR Code system more quickly than before. Plans to transport goods in the E-lock system were made and trials to implement the plans are under way. It is necessary to get the Nyan Khar Shay project done timely. If goods arechecked and transported with the use of QR Code and E-lock systems successfully, discussion on wider use of those systems will be further needed.
The Prime Minister has already given guidance that as the basic personal goods are imported, efforts are to be made to locally produce basic personal goods to meet the domestic demand as well as to be able to export them. Only if the required raw materials are supplied to the local market in time to meet its domestic demand, will the manufacturing process for them be operated quickly. If not, there will be harmfulness to the process of manufacturing finished products and higher prices as well. Besides, cheap basic personal goods from other countries could illegally enter the country and could create a threat to local SMEs’ survival. Therefore, it is to keep eradicating illegal trade systematically, effectively and strictly.
Regarding the action being taken against illegal trade, restricted goods have been seized in the past and goods without duties fined for customs redemption. Action was taken against vehicles carrying illegal goods according to the customs procedure. As goods and vehicles were seized mostly according to the customs law and protocol, it is necessary to take more effective action against those who repeatedly breach the law and regulations on illegal trade. If goods and vehicles owners who deliberately do illegal trade by a hair’s breadth are arrested again, they must be warned that their companies will be banned and vehicles be confiscated and they are to sign admission as well. Severe action must be taken against those who do not stop such a violation under not only the customs law but the related laws.
If a customs redemption fine does not mean a fine for their violation of the law and is cheaper than the market price, they will happily keep paying a customs redemption fine. Such a procedure will help them keep violating the law. Therefore, severe action must be taken against such people in order to ensure that they dare not commit such a case again and that illegal trade will not grow. Accordingly, it is important to systematically set the customs redemption fine.
It is heard that one stop services and collective teams on security duty have rude words in dealing with the people. Special teams for illegal trade eradication are to deal with the people as smoothly as possible when they are discharging duties at checkpoints. If the teams break the rules, action must be taken against them.
It is learnt that there is weakness in checks on illegal trade at checkpoints and security gates along the border trade routes between Myawady and Yangon and Muse, Lashio and Mandalay. Such a weakness is the huge barrier over eradication of illegal trade. Therefore, Goods coming in by the way of illegal trade must be strictly checked and stopped and relevant action must be severely taken against them. If informed that special teams for illegal trade eradication, teams of One Stop Service and security teams are involved in unlawful matters that can cause harm to their original duty, chairmen of special teams for illegal trade eradication in regions and states are to take action against them with effective penalty.
Regarding the health, personnel concerned and security - teams have to deal with many people, systematic supervisory measures must be taken according to the standard operation procedure on COVID-19 prevention issued by the Ministry of Health. It is necessary to make the required arrangements to get information on terrorists, who can come and disturb checkpoints and inspection teams, in advance.
Then, Secretary of the Steering Committee Deputy Minister U Nyunt Aung reported on work done under the 2/2023 meeting minutes and the tasks being taken by the Steering Committee.
Next, Deputy Director-General U Aung Thwin Oo, leader of office work team at the office of the Steering Committee, U Han Win Aung, director-general of Central Equipment Statistics and Inspection Department, U Thein Swe, director-general of Customs Department, U Myint Thura, director-general of Trade Department, and Dr Theingi Zin, deputy director-general of Food and Drugs Administration read reports submitted to the 3/2023 Meeting.
Afterwards, Vice-Chairmen of the Steering Committee and Union Ministers Lt-Gen Soe Htut and U Win Shein and member of the Steering Committee Union Minister U Aung Naing Oo briefed on comparison of export and import between Myanmar and Thailand, no illegal trade on illegal routes, seizures of narcotic drugs, restricted chemicals, illegal medicines and cosmetics, reviews on illegal trade, illegal export items, opening of illegal gates between Myanmar and China and measures being taken with QR Code system and discussed them.
Then, the attendees at the meeting participated in the discussion on eradication of illegal trade on a sector-wise basis.
Afterwards, the leader of theoffice work team at the Office of the Steering Committee readand presented the decision (draft) of the Meeting 3/2023 of the Steering Committee.
The Vice-Senior General made coordination on the discussion and suggestions.
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