An activist who works to help the poor in the town said the trishaw pullers have made the appeal to the CM as they are being levied with fixed taxes like many other roadside vendors of tea, snacks and moveable saloons by the municipal department.

“As many three-wheelers have taken the place of trishaws in the town, it is very difficult for a trishaw puller to get customers, but the municipal office in the town has fixed 8,000 Kyat for a trishaw as a compulsory license fee to be paid to the office. Now it is the rainy season, a hardest time for everyone to earn a living, and the trishaw pullers have come together, signed an earnest appeal and sent it to the Chief Minister U Hla Maung Tin to try and stop the municipal office from levying taxes as license fees on them”, said the activist.

The department has been collecting toll taxes from other road side vendors as well—8,000 Kyat for a snack stall, 8,000 Kyat for a saloon and 10,000 Kyat for a tea stall.

He said it is now very difficult for the poor in the town as the municipal department is collecting toll taxes even from very small businesses that the people run in order to earn for maintaining their livelihoods.

“It is now very difficult for the people, especially the poor in our town, because the department have entered its official staff into a competition with each other that gives more rewards to those who can collect more toll taxes from people and so the staff do not care for whatsoever if a person is relying on these ventures for their livelihood...they will simply perform their best to get more toll taxes from the people”, he said.

A shopkeeper from the main market in downtown Mrauk U also said that all shops in the market have to pay double taxes to the customs department and municipal department as well.

Similarly, the administration department in the town has been also collecting tolls from the engine-driven boats which run from the town to other villages in the township, charging 10,000 Kyat per a boat.