Myanmar scraps taxes on overseas labourers!

Dec 23 (Reuters) - Myanmar's government has scrapped income taxes on the salaries of its workers employed overseas, the latest in a series of labour concessions by the country's new administration that include a new law legalising trade unions.

The new tax rules, effective Jan. 1, would prevent double taxation on the 607,000 workers registered with the Labour Ministry, who now contribute 10 percent of their salaries on top of taxes paid in the countries where there are employed.

It could also encourage more of the estimated 2.5 million unregistered workers based mainly in Malaysia and Thailand to formalise employment arrangements.

Many infomal Myanmar workers endure extremely low pay and poor working conditions and are often subjected to maltreatment by employers and extortion by police and immigration officials.

The tax concession follows the enactment of a labour law in October that allows workers to stage protests and set up unions, both of which were banned under the junta that ruled the country with an iron fist until ceding power to a civilian-led government on March 30.


The move was one of a series of reforms initiated by President Thein Sein, aimed at pushing for the lifting of Western sanctions and attracting much-needed foreign investment.

One area the government is keen to expand is the nascent tourism sector.

Faced with an acute shortage of accommodation, Myanmar is seeking domestic and foreign investment to renovate colonial-era government-owned buildings in the former capital, Yangon, to turn them into high-end hotels, a senior official at the country's Investment Commission told Reuters.

Tourist arrivals for the fiscal year (April-March) 2010-2011 stood at 424,041, according to official data, and the government expects that number to climb steadily as more reforms are undertaken and the country's image is improved.

At present, there are 570 hotels and 160 guesthouses across the country, with a total room capacity of 24,692.

"We expect tourist arrivals to reach one million in the near future, so we are desperately in need of expanding hotel capacity speedily," a senior official from the Hotel and Tourism Ministry told Reuters, asking not to be identified. (Reporting by Aung Hla Tun; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Ref:www.reuters.com

old news for tax-
DTASG · Avoidance of Double Taxation

This group is dedicated to removing the double taxation practice that Myanmar citizens living and working in Singapore are experiencing despite the fact that there is a Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) signed between Singapore and Myanmar.

For all new members joining this group, we suggest you read the FAQ document (to see it click the Files section on the left pane).

We have already established several communications and discussions with competent Singapore tax authorities in accordance with the procedure mentioned in the article 26 of Singapore - Myanmar DTA.

The law (the DTA) is clearly on the side of Myanmar Citizens and we have already formulated very clear strategies and execution plan on how to protect our rights and arrive at the satisfactory solution to this case.

Please join in this historic endeavour that will lead us to achieve fairness for all Myanmar Citizens living in Singapore.

 Ref:Yahoonews

Singapore Today: Your tax or your passport … – Jasmine Yin

See Website-
http://www.burmanet.org/news/2007/03/28/singapore-today-your-tax-or-your-passport-jasmine-yin-3/