Illegal trade causes loss to the state, says President Min Aung Hlaing

It is necessary for trade operations to be legal and to be systematically inspected, supervised, and managed, and conducting illegal trade causes loss to the state, said State President U Min Aung Hlaing. The State President made these remarks at the Federal Government Body Meeting held on July 7 at the meeting hall of the Federal Government Body in the State President's Office in Nay Pyi Taw. In past eras, due to the smuggling and export of goods, the state has not received the due taxes, and it has been observed that goods that do not meet quality standards are being consumed by the public, and at the same time, it has been seen that employees have committed corrupt acts, said State President U Min Aung Hlaing. We cannot accept the illegal trade being conducted through illegal channels with money obtained illegally, and we must counter the economic market manipulation by unscrupulous individuals through legal trade, he said. Neighboring countries have a large market demand for basic foodstuffs such as meat, fish, and kitchen vegetables, so we can export and sell to those markets through border trade routes, but in some routes and regions, due to security restrictions, we are not able to export fully, he also said. Furthermore, it is necessary to increase exports for the development of the national economy, and to achieve this, it is necessary to encourage and support the increase of production in each relevant ministry, region, and state, he said. In addition, from a security perspective, it is necessary to work towards opening border trade gates as usual, and administrative officials also need to strictly supervise the business operations to ensure they are systematic, said State President U Min Aung Hlaing.