Pub taxes jump up in Mon State

Independent Mon News Agency

June 6, 2004

The Burma regime’s Custom Department collects ten times tax in comparison with last year from pubs in Mon State this year, in order to raise more revenue for the local authorities, said the pub owners in Mon State.

“The amount of tax is jumped up,” said Mr. Nai Kyaw Nyein a pub owner in Thanbyuzayat.

“Last year the Custom Department took tax only 5000.00 Kyat from a pub. But they take 50, 000.00 Kyat this,” he added.

“I felt uncomfortable because they collect more tax,” said Mr. Nai Ar Kyaw a pub owner in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State.

“Beside this (official) tax, we could not stop the police officers, military commanders are taking unofficially tax from us. I always paid to them after these officers frighten me to pay and they did not pay after they drunk,” Mr. Kyaw added.

In Mon State, the government is still taxing on thousands of small pubs that are operated and the regime has not collected tax from these pubs in the previous time. But currently, the fashion of pubs for the young people are popular not only in towns, but also in some big villages in Mon State. Most styles of pubs in Mon State are copied from Thailand and is equipped with Karaoke for singing songs and sell various types of liquor and beer.

As the authorities, Military Intelligence, police, and army have opportunity to collect both official and unofficial tax, they indirectly encourage for the operation of the pubs.

During the high school exam time, the local authorities also ordered to close these pubs in order to bar the students drinking liquors and beer.