The director of the state’s immigration department tells locals to report irregularities in the process of applying for identity documents.

Representatives of the Shan State government said that they would consider complaints regarding overcharging for the cost of identity documents.

The statement came in response to a question posed by SHAN during a press conference at Taunggyi’s city hall on June 14, regarding how the government would deal with reports that locals’ applications for national ID cards are frequently delayed and incur additional costs.

“If you have complaints, you can inform us. We receive complaints every day,” director of Shan State’s immigration department U Win Lwin said.

He highlighted the recent action taken by Burma’s anti-corruption commission against immigration officers in Lashio for allegedly accepting bribes from people applying for ID cards and family registration documents.

The scheme was linked back to brokers, who often apply for ID on behalf of members of ethnic nationality groups who do not speak Burmese, and sometimes exploit the individuals for extra costs.

ID cards are supposed to be issued within 48 days of application. U Win Lin said that if the cards are not produced in this time frame, the immigration department would take action against the officers, following the filing of a complaint.

Last week’s press conference in Taunggyi was held to mark the third anniversary of the Shan State government’s term.