Single-stop inspections will be deployed at border gates between Myanmar and neighbouring countries to prevent illegal trade, said Union Minister for Commerce Dr Than Myint yesterday.
The Union minister told Amyotha Hluttaw that discussions are ongoing with China and Thailand to launch the single-stop inspection system at border crossings.
The system is aimed at avoiding the public health impact of illegal goods entering the country and boosting the country’s revenues collected from border trade.
Work is underway to establish customs checkpoints for border trade complete with X-ray machines to inspect containers, added the Union minister.
He blamed unscrupulous business people and corrupt staff for illegal activities in border trade.
According to sources, goods worth more than K52billion were confiscated in 8,529 cases and inedible food worth more than 2.5billion in 937 cases were destroyed during the period from 2012-2013 FY to 2015-2016 when operations of mobile teams were shut down in December.
Commerce Ministry said that more checkpoints were opened in Kachin, Shan and Kayin states and Bago, Sagaing and Taninthayi regions for prevention of illegal trade after the mobile teams’ inspection operations ended.
Union Minister for Commerce Dr Than Myint replied to question about border trade, saying that the Customs Department is tasked with the prevention of illegal trade in accordance with short-term and long-term action plans.
In order to prevent the illegal cross-border flow of goods following the abolition of the Illegal Trade Prevention Committee, preventive measures against illegal imports and exports are being undertaken by customs teams in cooperation with the Ministries of Home Affairs, Commerce, Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Labour, Immigration and Population and Defence and Region\State governments, added the Union minister.
Source: The Global New Light Of Myanmar
