The Sagaing People’s Defence Force (PDF) group, A-Mi-Myay, has set up a special taskforce to investigate whether business people have been paying taxes to the exiled National Unity Government (NUG) in Sagaing Region’s Yinmarbin Township.

“In collaboration with alliance forces in Yinmarbin Township we’ll carry out surprise checks on business people to see who has and hasn’t paid tax to the NUG government. If businessmen can’t show tax receipts [for taxes paid to the NUG government] we’ll take action but we haven’t decided yet what kind of action will be taken”, a member of the A-Mi-Myay special task force said to
Mizzima.

According to him, some business owners have only paid taxes to the junta government and not to the NUG government.

Yinmarbin Township is one of 15 townships in Sagaing which are now controlled by PDFs and the NUG after the junta administrations abandoned them. The NUG has appointed judges in those areas and is trying to set up functioning administrations.

“We will try to run the public judicial system and public administration system in cooperation with the National Unity Government. In order to run those systems smoothly, we need everybody’s cooperation,” said Min Ko, a member of the A-Mi-Myay special taskforce.

Mizzima tried to contact business owners in Yinmarbin to talk to them about the subject of taxation, but by press time none had responded.

NUG decree 11/2022 issued on 19 May declared that the NUG would start administering 15 townships in Sagaing Region.

The 15 townships that have been taken under NUG control are: Katha, Kawlin, Kanbalu, Bamauk, Kyun Hla, Inndaw, Htee chaing, Kani, Wetlett, Ayadaw, Myin mu, Taze, Khin U, Tamu and Yinmarbin.