Myanmar junta minister claims tax revenue nearly tripled since coup, as World Bank projects continued weak growth

Tax revenue collected by the Myanmar military junta has nearly tripled since the 2021 coup, Union Minister of Finance and Revenue Dr. Kan Zaw told the junta-convened 2026 National Assembly on 13 July — even as the World Bank projects continued weak economic growth and residents report sharply rising costs. Dr. Kan Zaw said tax revenue rose from approximately 4,912 billion kyats (approx. US$1.58 billion) in the 2020-2021 fiscal year to 14,070 billion kyats (approx. US$4.54 billion) in the 2025-2026 fiscal year — a nearly threefold increase over five years. In the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the Ministry of Finance and Revenue collected 14,070 billion kyats against a revised target of 13,460 billion kyats (approx. US$4.34 billion), achieving 105 per cent of the projection, he said. Dr. Kan Zaw attributed the increased revenue to the phased implementation of a tax reform strategy, saying expanded use of online tax payments and digital tax return filings had reduced physical contact between tax officials and taxpayers. Since the coup, the junta has expanded tax bases, raised tax rates alongside the rising values of special goods, increased commercial taxes, and raised the commercial tax on gold trading from 1 per cent to 3 per cent, he said. Commenting on the junta’s tax policy, Tin Tun Naing, Minister of Planning, Finance and Investment for the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), wrote on his Facebook page in July 2024: “With the country’s economy utterly ruined by power-mad dictators, the public is bearing the brunt of skyrocketing commodity prices. The defeated military council’s heavy taxation is akin to adding insult to injury for the suffering citizens.” Myanmar’s economy has contracted since the coup. According to the World Bank’s Myanmar Economic Monitor, released 16 June 2026, growth is projected at just 2 per cent for the current 2026-2027 fiscal year, down from an earlier 3 percent projection, following a global fuel-price shock linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Tax hikes have also driven up consumer costs: a mobile SIM card that cost 1,500 kyats (approx. US$0.48) before the coup was subject to a commercial tax of up to 20,000 kyats (approx. US$6.45) during the coup period. Dr. Kan Zaw said the national tax-to-GDP ratio rose from 5.07 per cent in the 2020-2021 fiscal year to 8.55 per cent in 2025-2026, and that the junta is aiming to raise it further to 9.5 per cent in the current 2026-2027 fiscal year. The post Myanmar junta minister claims tax revenue nearly tripled since coup, as World Bank projects continued weak growth appeared first on ENG.MIZZIMA.COM.