Trade groups raise traffic concerns as Yebu gate reopens
The Yebu border trade inspection gate on the Lashio-Muse road has reopened for the first time in over five years as the government tries to honour a commitment to ending illegal trade. But inspecting hundreds of vehicles at a single small gate has resulted in serious traffic problems, say traders and local trade bodies. Some 80 percent of Myanmar’s overland trade with China occurs through the 105-mile trade zone in Muse. Goods pass an official customs point, which involves some form of inspection, but illegal trading remains an issue. Union Finance Minister U Kyaw Win in an address to ministers and the business community last week said the government was intent on reducing black market trade, which deprives the country of tax revenue. As part of the effort to clamp down on illegal trade the government has reopened the Yebu border trade inspection gate, which was closed by the previous administration in 2011.
