The office of the President of Myanmar formed a new Steering Committee to against the illegal trade by liaising between the various government agencies

On June 25, the Office of the President of Myanmar announced the formation of a steering committee. It will be chaired by Vice President One U Myint Swe, and will battle against illegal trade by liaising between the various government agencies.

The government formed this union-level committee about three years after dissolving the special team for fighting illegal trade, which had been led by the Ministry of Commerce, back in 2016.

The newly-formed committee will be chaired by the Vice President, as well as the two union ministers at the Ministry of Planning and Finance, and the Ministry of Union Government Office.

The stated goal of this committee is to create fair competition between small- to medium-sized enterprises, as well as to protect consumers. It will also work hand-in-hand with other regional teams fighting illegal trade.

Vice President U Myint Swe, who is going to be chairing the new committee, spoke on the subject during a meeting with local businessmen. He said that the government is fighting the illegal trade, but he added that it still has a long way to go.

Doctor Than Myint, Union Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, backed up the Vice President’s statement. He said that the border areas’ political and economic issues, and the rule of law, are all hampering efforts to curtail the illegal trade.

The statement made by the President’s Office, announcing the formation of the committee, added that it will draft new laws or amend existing ones in order to fight the illegal trade. The committee will also work with other government agencies in implementing, monitoring, assessing, and reporting on the country’s strategies and policies.

Sadly, the illegal trade accounted for roughly 45 percent of the country’s total foreign trade; the country has seized illegal trade valued at K10.371 billion.

(Myanmar Business Today: https://www.mmbiztoday.com/articles/new-steering-committee-crack-down-illegal-trade )

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