GRAPE VINE
Burma Labour Minister's explanation on 50% remittance
29 Feb 2000
Dear Friends,
One of our friends received this information from RGN this evening and I am forwadrding to you all.
Today, Deputy Minister for Labour met about 60 persons who are back in RGN on leave for now, and supposed to register the labour registration. Explanation was given by Labour Minister as follows.
I. Any guarantor is required to deposit Kyat 500,000 for the person whom he will endorse to be remitted 50% of his income. The deposit will be issued to him once the person returns home for good and is believed to settle his income tax and the due remittance.
II. Tho one who is working abroad is required to remit 50% of his salary and pay 10% tax from his full salary.It means that a person with a salary of Baths 6,000.00 is expected to remit 3,000 and pay 600.00 as tax. If it is the case, his take-home-pay salary will be 2,400.00 per month.
III.In answering to the complaint of how they can live on the rest of his salary after being deducted for remittance and tax, the minister said that he understood most of the people declared the actual income falsely, and will seek the assistance from Burmese embassy abroad to ascertain whether the appointment letter submitted is authentic. He also said that the salary is normally increased 10% per annum.
IV. He also urged the one who is supposed to settle the tax cum remittance based on Baths 6,000, to pay more accordingly by saying that he must have earned at least Baths 12,000 on account of his qualification and designation.
V. He also threatened that it will take at least couple of weeks to look into tha case of complaint. During this period, the person shall remain in country to assist the investigation.
VI. He was also aware of that the workers are remitting their earning through so-called "hondies" and they are taking advantage of this situation to speculate the local currency market. That is why, government decide to help the workers abroad to avoid being exploited by these "hondie" people.
Thein Aung
Bangkok
Edited by Rebound88