No benefit in sending them if they don’t remit money, says Myanmar junta’s new labour minister

Mizzima

Although workers are sent abroad, some do not remit money back. Therefore, sending them is “of no benefit,” said Maung Myint, the Myanmar military junta’s newly appointed Labour Minister, on his TikTok social media account on 4 October.

“To obtain hard currency for Myanmar, the state government has urged them to remit 25 percent of their salaries. However, while some remit, others do not. So for the state, we are just sending them off. In reality, there is no benefit. It is a loss of benefit,” Maung Myint said.

He further stated that action must be taken to make this system beneficial.

“I will have to work on making this better, correct, and beneficial to the state,” he said.

Maung Myint (also known as Minkin Maung Myint), a member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), was reassigned from his position as the junta’s Minister for Hotels, Tourism, and Culture to Labour Minister on 3 October.

Since the coup, to acquire foreign currency, the military junta has mandated that Myanmar migrant workers working abroad must remit at least 25 percent of their salaries back home through designated channels, including banks. They also levy a 2 percent income tax on foreign income.

An overseas Myanmar worker pointed out the difficulties, stating that when remitting through official channels, there is a massive gap in exchange rates compared to the market rate, obstacles in withdrawing cash in Myanmar, the inability to cash out at all local shops, and the fact that some workers do not know how to use the required mobile remittance applications.

“Regarding the junta labour minister’s statement, I want to say that even masked bandits have more dignity than them. Instead of helping their citizens when they are in trouble abroad, they themselves push them into abyss. I just want to say they will never become a government that the people want,” the worker said.

Currently, the military junta has decreed that returning workers on leave must present detailed evidence of officially remitting the 25 percent family remittance and proof of paying the 2 percent income tax when applying to leave the country again.

Following the military coup, departures from the country through both legal and illegal channels have surged dramatically due to mandatory military conscription and severe economic hardships.