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Rathidaung: As the Burmese military government is unable to repair the traffic jetty in Arakan, a group from the village council has been collecting taxes from travelers and traders to renovate the jetty, said one traveler.

"The jetty is very risky but the government authority has not repaired the jetty for a long time. So the village council has been collecting tax from travelers and traders whenever they cross the jetty," said the traveler.

The village council collects 100 kyat per passenger, 50 per chicken, and 500 kyat for a bag of goods.

"The collection started two years ago and was undertaken under the instruction of Rathidaung Township Chairman Aung Myo Myint. But the plan of jetty construction has not been started so far," the traveler added.

The jetty is located at Sa Pho Kyunt Village in Rathidaung Township and lies on the Sittwe - Buthidaung inland water route. The Sittwe - Buthidaung route is a traffic waterway in Arakan State that stretches 100 miles, with ships traversing the Mayu River.

Villagers in the region have to use the jetty for their travel by ship, but the authority has always neglected much-needed renovations to the jetty.

U Hla, a chicken trader from the village said, "I stopped my chicken business because the village authority collects 50 kyat per chicken whenever I cross the jetty. Because of this, I lost profits from the business, so I stopped."

This problem has not only affected small businesses but also independent travelers who can not afford the 100 kyat for jetty fees.

People in Arakan report amazement that the government can build the new railway and highway in the state but can not rebuild the traffic jetties.