Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice- Senior General Soe Win Addresses Coordination Meeting 3/2023 of Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee

Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice- Senior General Soe Win Addresses Coordination Meeting 3/2023 of Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee

The Coordination Meeting (3/2023) of Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee was held at the Ministry of Commerce in Nay Pyi Taw on 26 May and Chairman of the Steering Committee Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice- Senior General Soe Win attended and addressed it. Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-Senior General stressed the following points;

· It has been the 9^th 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 trucks along the trade routes were checked through the QR Code system more quickly than before. Moreover, the E-lock system arranged for the transport of commodities is under arrangements to exam­ine the trucks.

· Prime Minister has given the guidance that efforts must be made for manufactur­ing the basic personal goods to meet the domestic demand and export the surplus to foreign markets.

· 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 severe action against those who repeatedly committed il­legal trading activities.

· If owners of goods and vehicles, 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 other related laws.

· Severe action must be taken against those not to dare to commit again and not to develop more illegal trade measures.

· There are weaknesses in checks on illegal trade at checkpoints and security gates along the border trade routes between Myawady and Yangon and Muse, Lashio and Mandalay.

· Chairpersons of the special task forces for illegal trade eradication in regions and states to take se­vere action against those from the task forces, one-stop service troops and security forces for the illegal measures harming the original duties.

· It is necessary to make the required arrangements in advance to get information about terrorists, who can come and disturb checkpoints and inspection teams, in advance.

Secretary of the steering committee Deputy Minister U Nyunt Aung reported on the ac­complishment of the decisions adopted in the meeting 2/2023 and the tasks being taken by the Steering Committee. Then, the attendees reported to the Vice-Senior General on eradication of illegal trade on a sector-wise basis, and the meeting was ended.

The meeting was also attended by Union Ministers Lt-Gen Soe Htut, U Win Shein and U Aung Naing Oo, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries, directors-general, and officials. Chairmen of region and state illegal trade eradication task forces attended it through video conferencing.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar Newspaper (27-5-2023)