Thailand
Myanmar: Traders appeal against rental fee hike
Business owners at the Yadanarbon (F) Market in Mandalay’s Pyigyitagun township are baffled over a 750 percent hike in shop rental fees that will come into effect starting April 1.
The fee, which is K4000 a month now, will be K30,000 starting next month.
U Hla Shwe, a shop owner, said the businesses at the market were putting up an appeal letter to the regional government to reconsider the hike.
“Last year, the hike was from K2000 to K4000. We are all very surprised how the hike this year has gone up to K30,000,” he said on March 24.
There are 120 shops in the market and almost all the owners had signed the appeal letter to the government, he said.
“We are asking the government to collect K6000 a month. The fees should be raised gradually, considering there are people struggling to get by,” U Hla Shwe said.
He said some of the people who lived in the shops at the market were retirees and low-income earners.
“We understand that the collected fees and taxes fund market repairs.
“But if the fees go up so drastically, there may be many social difficulties faced by the people. The fees should increase slowly,” U Hla Shwe added.
The fee hike for shops, including those also used for residential purposes, and other spaces owned by the Mandalay City Development Committee starting April 1 was confirmed in a recent regional government meeting.
The 2017-18 registration fees are to be collected together with shop taxes. The notification had been sent to fee collectors and market affairs team members.
Source: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/mandalay-upper-myanmar/25498-traders-appeal-against-rental-fee-hike.html