In a bid to speed up trade flows, the Ministry of Commerce is taking the lead in setting up a revitalized one-stop service (OSS) to deal with imports and exports in Yangon and at the country’s border trading posts.
Commerce Minister U Than Myint is to work with other government departments to organize the service, said the ministry’s deputy secretary U Khin Maung Lwin.
Though import-export facilitation teams are already in operation at the country’s 15 border trading posts and at Yangon airport, their membership, working methods and success rate are unclear, officials say.
“OSS teams are deployed in Yangon to speed up import-export transactions, but it doesn’t seem to be working the way it should. We want to get things clarified so that businesses can get everything done through OSS, and the minister is negotiating with other departments to ensure that this is done,” he said.
OSS teams are expected to work with customs, the police and the ministries of commerce and population and immigration.
The initiative has been welcomed by industry professionals as the rate of imports and exports by air via Yangon is growing. “It’s time to upgrade the arrangements at the airport,” said Daw Hla Hla Yi, general secretary of the Myanmar International Logistics Association.
“The deployment of teams will help entrepreneurs sort out difficulties easily,” said U Khin Maung Lwin. Meetings have already taken place between the ministries concerned and import-export businesses.
“We want to know what entrepreneurs want and what the government can do to help them,” he added.
From: Myanmar Times
