25  June 

The Central Committee of the Administration of Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands held their 27th coordination meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation yesterday.

At the meeting, Central Committee Chairman Union Minister Dr Aung Thu said every citizen has the same equal right to apply for the use of vacant, fallow and virgin lands through permitted means and pursue their business on it. He said the central committee requests a guarantee fee to ensure people pursue the businesses they claimed to do after handing over the land. The fee is returned when the proposed business is complete. He said the amount levied for the land tax during the business process is not much when compared to the investment made for the business.

The Union Minister said the people who received approval to work on those lands should pay the tax promptly as failure to comply will bring about legal repercussions. He said the nation has provided the land for use at no cost and the success of the individual or organization in their work on that land also contributes to national economic development in one way. The Union Minister said they are administering the land within the law to prevent it from becoming a product for sale. He said breaking this rule will cause the guarantee fee to be sent to the national budget. He said there have some delays in some administrative working committees and called for solutions to resolve it.

Next, Central Committee Secretary and Director-General U Thet Naing Oo explained the administrative process and attendees discussed each topic in detail.

The meeting discussed the tax exemption period for levying land tax for allotted lands and setting the rate for land tax in line with Sections 39-(c) and 40 of the Administration of Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands Bylaw.

They discussed the revenue from land tax for allotted lands and amount of tax yet to be levied between 2017-2018 to 2019-2020, progress on reviewing applications for land usage, forming a special unit for the applications, the list of the special unit for taking legal action if people fail to pay their land tax, reports of denying land usage, and forming a separate unit for reviewing reports calling to block applications for land usage. 

MNA (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)