Ponna Kyunt: While people of Arakan are facing an extended economic crisis with the junta’s failure to promote business and development in Arakan, local authorities are stepping up collection of illegal toll from residents by the day, say many locals.

A joint force including that of the army, army intelligence, and police have set up a new tollgate on the embankment of the railway across Kin Chaung Creek in Ponna Kyunt Township, 16 miles north of Sittwe, to collect toll from machine cargo boats and row boats.

"The tollgate collects 3,000 Kyat from a large machine boat, 2,000 Kyat from a mid-size machine boat, 1,500 Kyat from a large row boat, and 500 Kyat from a regular row boat, whenever it arrives at the railway embankment. The collection is not official and is only for their personal profit," a trader said.

While the people of Arakan are suffering from the blockage of Kin Chaung Creek by military authorities for the construction of the railway, the local authorities set up the tollgate to collect taxes from traders without official authorization.

"We traders are aggrieved after traffic on the canal was blocked for the railway, because we cannot connect between the main rivers in Arakan, the Kaladan and Mayu, by boat. During this time the authorities collect toll from us by opening the tollgate. We suffer doubly," the trader said.

Most people living near the tollgate are suffering and have been most affected as they are forced to pay the toll on a daily basis.

"The people bring vegetables and agricultural produce to sell in the markets of Ponna Kyunt by small row boats. When they arrive at the gate, the authorities collect toll from them," the trader added.

The people not only have to pay authorities at the new tollgate, but also many other government syndicates, including the authorities at the market, municipality, and the jetty, when they reach Ponna Kyunt to sell their goods.

Many law enforcement agencies, including the navy, army, army intelligence, and police have set up tollgates on waterways and motor roads throughout Arakan State to collect illegal toll from people.

A retired teacher from Maungdaw who is now a member of the USDP said, "The economy of Arakan State is not good right now and many people, including government employees, who are not drug smugglers in the town are suffering from the crisis. So the authorities, mostly law enforcement agencies, have turned to looting money from the public any way they can."

In Arakan State, there are over 50 army battalions and several naval bases. Soldiers and sailors from the army and naval forces are not paid enough of a salary to provide for their own families' daily survival, and have turned to extorting money from the public in a number of ways, including illegal tolls and tax collection.