Sittwe: Bamboo prices in Arakan State have risen sharply in the New Year due to the collection of unofficial taxes by local authorities at several toll gates that have been opened by officers of departments such as the army and forestry, said a village elder.

Many Arakanese are suffering from the increasing bamboo prices this year because it is an essential material in Arakan, used for constructing houses and many necessary utensils such as baskets and hats.

Last year, the price of a bamboo stalk was only 80 or 90 kyat, but in 2008 the price has increased to 150 kyat per stalk. A bundle of 100 bamboo stalks now costs over 10,000 kyat in Arakan.

There are plentiful bamboo groves in Arakan State, with most located deep in Arakan Roma. Despite the abundance, Arakanese people are unable to afford bamboo for their own needs because authorities have inflated the prices by collecting multiple taxes from local bamboo cutters.

The village elder said many toll gates have been illegally opened by local authorities, including army personnel, along several rivers. Among others, the Laymyo River, Dalet Creek, Ann Chaung Creek, and Ram Chaung Creek have had several toll gates set up along their lengths for the collection of fees from wood cutters transporting their goods.

Many government officials in Arakan State are given salaries insufficient for their families' survival, and many from the armed forces have turned to setting up unofficial toll gates to collect taxes illegally from local people.#

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