Maungdaw, Arakan State: The SPDC has imposed more tax on marine products business, beginning from January 1, 2009, a businessman from Maungdaw said.

The Buthidaung Tactical Operation Commands (TOC) invited all businessmen, who were involved in marine products business from Maungdaw and Buthidaung Township, he added.

The TOC ordered the businessmen to pay the tax on their business before May 2009 to the concerned authority, otherwise it would be doubled, he added.

The TOC imposed a tax on the basis of their ponds of prawn, crab and fish. A small pond owner has to pay a tax of 4500,000 Kyat, for a medium-sized pond owner, the tax is Kyat 7000,000 and a big pond owner has to pay tax 10,000,000 kyat, according to an official of the Marine Product Association of Maungdaw.

TOC also ordered to export the marine product through the border trade channel, not to export other way, the Association said.

"The authority is going to end our business as they have imposed a tax, which we will not be able to pay within the period the authority has given us. When we are unable to pay the tax, they will seize our pond and then we will become jobless," Anno Meah, an agent of a prawn exporting group from Maungdaw said.

Rohingya marine product businessmen used to take lease from other people, who owned the ponds of prawns or crabs, in a reasonable amount. However, with the authority imposing the tax, it is not possible for the owners of ponds to pay such a high amount, he said.

The businessmen are also unable to pay the money, which is being demanded by the owners of ponds, so the business will go to the authority from the Rohingya community, a school teacher from Buthidaung said.

The marine product business is an important source of income for the Rohingya community from Maungdaw and Buthidaung. After the imposition of more tax, the community will find it difficult to survive, a student from Buthidaung said.