Myanmar Wealth

The Burmese economy mystifies, as has been mentioned often in these pages. It is sometimes said that the country’s development needs could be met overnight if only the lucrative domestic jade business was taxed fairly.

One in four people lives below the poverty line. In rural areas it’s one in two; in conflict-affected areas near borders, it’s nearly everyone.

Official reports about what generates wealth here discuss natural resources and agriculture. Unofficial accounts mention trafficking of drugs and humans, theft of timber, smuggling of gems, and other such “dark” sources of money.

Estimates about how much of the economy is underground range as high as half. One report estimated tax losses at 122-172% of health expenditures and 48-73% of education spending from 1960-2013.

How else to explain the growing availability of luxury goods? One BMW and one Mercedes dealership can now be found on the road to the airport. Shops dedicated to Swiss watches are now inside the airport itself and in fancy hotels.

Many times, I have nearly lost faith in Myanmar’s ability to repair the damage done by greed. Finishing up at the ATM on a recent rainy day, I felt a tap on my wrist from a very little person. He was holding a rumpled bill worth about 1500 times less than the stack I had just pulled out of the machine. His face wasn’t exactly pleading. It just looked confused, as if he wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to be asking.