By Kantarawaddy Times
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The Interim Executive Council (IEC) informed Kantarawaddy Times that it will review and regulate the collection of shop and municipal taxes, including those for butcher shops, pork stalls, poultry vendors, and fish markets, currently overseen by Dee Baw Ku Township’s Joint Administrative Committee.
The decision to regulate tax rates was made during a November 4th meeting attended by members of the Joint Administrative Committee, group leaders, and battalion representatives. A public notice regarding the tax collection process was issued on November 20th. The IEC Deputy Secretary 2, U Bayan, stated:
“Townships are allowed to collect local taxes. However, there are no finalized guidelines or protocols yet for tax collection specifically. Discussions, presentations to the public in the townships, and gathering feedback have not been comprehensively finished. In this context, township administrater of Dee Baw Ku township went ahead and started collecting taxes prematurely.without proper authorization. This has led to public dissatisfaction, misunderstandings, and misinterpretations. We want to clarify that the IEC has not yet issued formal instructions or granted permission for this. Therefore, we are working to rectify the situation.”
The notice issued by the Dee Baw Ku Township Joint Administrative Committee stated that the collected taxes would be allocated as follows: 40% for regional development, 20% for township offices, 35% for joint military food supplies, and 5% for the Karenni State Police Camp No. 1.
Before the establishment of the IEC Township Administrative Council in western Dee Maw Hso township, some armed groups had been collecting shop taxes and donations, according to local residents. Currently, the Township Administrative Council is also collecting monthly taxes, with rates varying based on the size of the shop.
A displaced woman operating a shop in western Dee Maw Hso reported that they must pay land rent, shop taxes, and donations simultaneously. One displaced shopkeeper expressed frustration:
“I feel unhappy about it. Since we fled to this area after the military coup and are struggling to survive, I believe taxing us shouldn’t be happening. As a displaced person, I feel this is unfair. However, I think the township administrators don’t understand or empathize with us. They demand whatever they want and say whatever they like to us. As a displaced person, I don’t feel happy about it,” she said.
In addition to the taxes, locals and displaced persons are also concerned about rising commodity prices due to currency depreciation.
The IEC has established Township Administrative Councils in 16 townships during the interim period. These townships include Mese, Ywar Thit, Dee Baw Ku, Loi Nan Pha, Nan Mae Khon, Lomu Kho, Paw War, Baw Hu Htae, Hu Baw, Hoya, Phon Baw Kone, Kay Lyar, eastern Dee Maw Hso, Somo/Pray Soe Leh, Hso Tha Sha, and Pekon.
Dee Baw Ku Township, restructured by the IEC, comprises six administrative groups: Daw Raukh Khu, Lo Pu, Lo Ba Kho, Ho Wan, Wa Ban Blo, and Pan Pat.
