Vice President highlights limp action to prevent illegal trade

Despite the inability to prevent and control illegal trade effectively, illegal goods worth over Ks15 billion were confiscated over the past 14 months, Vice President Myint Swe told local businesspeople. 

The Private Sector Development Committee held the 31st meeting with Myanmar entrepreneurs at the office of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Yangon on December 8. 

"Following complaints from local businesses about their losses caused by illegal trade inflow, we formed anti-illegal trade task forces in nine regions and states related to borders. But we cannot perform effectively. We are also divided into other jobs such control of armed groups and peace efforts. Only when they can all be taken care of, can we control such illegal trade. However, we have directed those regions (with reported high amounts of illegal trade) to take more effective action," the Vice President. 

The seized Ks15 billion illegal goods was just a mere fraction of it all, he added. 

"Within 14 months from September 2018 to October this year, illegal goods worth over Ks15 billion were confiscated from 1,065 cases," he said. 

the Vice President also quoted the index published by The Economist Intelligence Unit that Myanmar ranks 82 out of 84 countries in global illegal trade index.

The country has formed the Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee to take tougher action against illicit trade, he added. 

"When it comes to illegal trade, it is not heartening that we cannot take more effective action. Leaders had always make remarks about this. In some regions, there is not a single seizure of illegal goods in a month which is an impossibility. Security issues might be concerned with this," he commented.