The Ministry of Commerce has published a list of 267 items that can be imported from September without a licence, in the new government’s first step toward liberalising permit requirements.
The move builds on liberalisation by the last government, which had hoped to encourage trade by allowing some products to be sold into the country without a permit.
Last August the commerce ministry issued a list of 4405 products that still required licences. The 267 items named by the ministry this month were taken from that list, said assistant secretary U Khin Maung Lwin.
Goods that can be imported without a licence now include cotton; products made of iron, steel and stainless steel; copper, brass, aluminum and their products; electrical appliances; vehicle parts; and trains, he said.
The list will be reviewed and changed from time to time, and the ministry has already proposed removing more than 500 goods from the list. Another round of liberalisation is likely to happen later this year, he said. For now, traders will still need to apply for a licence for the 267 items, as the new rules will not come into effect until September 1.
Alcohol, beer and cigarettes will continue to be listed as restricted goods for the time being, he said.
Source: Myanmar Times
