Japan Appeals for Exemption from Myanmar Junta’s Foreign Exchange Rules



The flags of Myanmar and Japan exterior the Myanmar-Japan Thilawa Development Ltd in Yangon. 

By The Irrawaddy 7 April 2022
The Japanese Embassy in Myanmar has asked the junta’s Ministry of International Affairs to exempt Japanese corporations and governmental companies from the new directive that foreign exchange earnings need to be transformed into kyats at the formal level in one operating day.
An embassy letter explained: “Japanese businesses running in Myanmar will facial area severe worries in following this new regulation, which will induce complications in continuing their enterprises in the place.”
The Central Financial institution of Myanmar’s get will also affect the embassy and other formal companies, like the Japan Global Cooperation Agency and Japan Exterior Trade Group, the letter explained.
The embassy asked for an exemption for Japanese organizations and official companies, citing the “bilateral relationship”.
The new principles say overseas exchange have to be deposited in overseas forex accounts at licensed banks and need to be converted into kyats inside one particular doing work working day. It states separate notifications will be issued for exemptions, which inspired the Japanese letter.
The new directive is reportedly previously harming exports.
A businessman told The Irrawaddy: “The central bank tells us to transform international trade into kyats inside 24 hrs. But the maximum quantity of income businesses can withdraw [per week] from their bank accounts is 100 million kyats [US$56,000]. It will even further worsen the dollars circulation disaster.”
Whilst foreign exchange will be transformed at the formal fee of 1,850 kyats for each US dollar, the market fee is about 2,050 kyats, which will hammer exporters, he added.
The new rules will create a dollar disaster and enhance the black market place, he stated.
