23 October
The Private Sector Development Committee led by Vice President 1 U Myint Swe and private business persons held its 30th regular meeting at the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFFCI) on 19 October 2019. Issues covering Bayintnaung market, fishery sector, automobile manufacturing and distributing sector were raised.
Bayintnaung Market
Yangon Region Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chairman U Khin Han explained about difficulties faced by commodity trading houses, companies, banks and truck companies operating out of Bayintnaung Market due to non-extension of land grants. Land grants for lands in Bayintnaung Market was extended up to 2018 and then extended to 2021. However, as land grant extensions were no longer granted beyond 2021, the commodity trading houses, companies, banks and truck companies operating out of Bayintnaung Market were facing difficulties in obtaining bank loans and additional investment in the businesses. The matter was raised for coordination with relevant departments and organizations toward extending the land grants.
Fishery sector
Issues covering fishery sector was raised and explained by Myanmar Fisheries Federation Senior Vice President Daw Toe Nanda Tin and General Secretary U Win Kyaing.
First the matter of possible environmental effects on fishery resources in Myanmar territorial water and exclusive economic zones if offshore oil and gas exploration and production were conducted without proper environmental protection works and researches. Difficulties faced by fishery sector workers due to the depletion of fishery resources were also raised. Offshore oil and gas production works were to be permitted only if systematic preliminary surveys to protect and conserve fishery resources, protect and conservation works on fishery resources during offshore oil and gas production and after offshore oil and gas production were systematically conducted by internationally recognized experts.
Integrated fish farming of breeding fish together with chicken on top of the fish ponds should be banned as local aquatic products were not meeting GAqP, GMP, HACCP standards for export while not also meeting food safety standard for local consumption. In the long run the practice will also affect the National Aquaculture Development program.
Automobile manufacturing and distribution sector
Myanmar Automobile Manufacturers and Distributors Association Vice Chairman U Zaw Htike Aye and joint secretary Dr Kyaw Kyaw Aung explained about issues in automobile manufacturing and distribution sector.
Customs Department was designating Double Cab pickup trucks as commercial vehicles and changing HS Code to reduce custom duty while Road Transport Administration Department was designating it as a private passenger vehicle in the same way as a saloon car and collecting (higher) tax. Suggestion was made to designate it as commercial vehicle and collect tax accordingly in both departments.
Except for a very few commercial trucks and bus locally manufactured or assembled, the majority of the investment in this sector were to produce passenger and luxury cars. In addition to this there were no difference in duties and taxes on importing completely build up (CBU) vehicles and the assembly or production of Semi-Knocked-Down (SKD) vehicles. Suggestions were made on reducing tax and duties on local manufacture of commercial trucks and buses while government tenders or purchases of commercial trucks and buses were to give priority to locally manufactured SKD/CKD commercial trucks and buses.
An additional suggestion on establishing an industrial zone to support and ease the assembly and manufacture of SKD/CKD vehicles was also made.
UMFCCI
