Kan Pike Tee border trading station in Kachin State will be closed indefinitely to the import of vehicles and machines: The Ministry of Commerce

Kan Pike Tee border trading station in Kachin State will be closed indefinitely to the import of vehicles and machines, U Tin Ye Win, director of the Export-Import Department at the Ministry of Commerce, told The Myanmar Times.

A high volume of vehicles and machines are imported for use in the jade mining areas in Hpakanttownship, and are checked for their legality at Kan Pike Tee border trading station, which was closed on the evening of December 17.

“The closure is so we can check the details of all imports and exports,” said U Tin Ye Win. “After checking everything, we’ll reopen the trading station when the government approves.”

The import of vehicles and machineries through border trading stations is taxed, and requires an import licence from the Customs Department. Seven years ago, in an effort to make importing machinery and vehicles easier, the government stopped requiring importers to seek additional approval from the Ministry of Mining.

The government had issued 1177 import licenses for individual vehicles at Kan Pike Tee in the 2015-2016 fiscal year as of December 11. The licence for 880 came from Myitkyina station, in the capital of Kachin, with permission from the Nay Pyi Taw head office. The remaining 297 licences were issued directly from Nay Pyi Taw, U Tin Ye Win said.

Imports can also enter Hpakant district by ship and several other overland routes, including through forests. The range of different routes was the reason that the government had closed Kan Pike Tee – the closest overland route.

“We can only block for one way yet,” said U Tin Ye Win. “It’s not possible to block the other forest routes yet.”

The Kachin State Government, General Administration Department, Road Transport and Administration Department, national police force and customs department are collaborating to check that the vehicles that have been imported have been done so legally. The Ministry of Commerce, meanwhile, is carrying out an analysis of imports licences issued for Kachin State’s various border points.

Importers bringing vehicles and machinery through Kan Pike Tee legally must submit a licence for the import to the Road Transport Administration Department within 21 days.

​