CNI News

5 August 2024

He knew daily that there was illegal trade in the border areas, said Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC) at the meeting of the Union Government held on 29th July. 

Economic analysts and academics are reviewing and discussing why there is illegal trade in the border areas. Illegal trade has emerged due to the weak economic system of the country, U Htay Aung Kyi, a banking expert, told CNI News.

" There is illegal trade because of system weakness. In the legal trade, if the tax is not too much, no one will conduct illegal trade. Mainly, there are barriers in the legal trade such as being difficult to work and having to wait to get a permit. There is no illegal trade in Thailand because its system is good. It's necessary to have no barriers." he said.

Illegal trade contains trading illegal goods such as arms, ammunition and narcotic drugs as well as trading legal goods without passing government departments.

Border trade trucks

The government should take action against those who are trading illegal goods while illegally trading legal goods could be cured by relaxing, an economic analyst told CNI News.

" Those who illegally trade legal goods want to reduce the cost. The process takes long as well. They have to pay a lot of taxes. There is quality control. There are medicines which can be imported only if you have a FDA certificate. Because they don't want to experience these difficulties as well as they want to reduce the cost. So, they illegally trade legal goods. The government should study illegal trade like this and consider which ones should be relaxed or which ones should be facilitated so that illegal trade can be reduced." he said.

Because illegal trade adversely affected the country's economy, it was still necessary to carry out carefully regarding trade as well as to be correct in relation to the border trade, said chairman of the SAC.

Besides, due to the unwanted costs on the way, commodity prices could go up and officials needed to supervise the prevention of the activities that would hamper the border trade, he added.