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North-East: Untapped potiential for international trade
Guwahati, July 18: The North Eastern region has tremendous scope for international trade, thanks to its borders with neighbouring countries but lack of initiatives from the government have negated its vast scope for economic development, trade bodies say.
Guwahati, July 18: The North Eastern region has tremendous scope for international trade, thanks to its borders with neighbouring countries but lack of initiatives from the government have negated its vast scope for economic development, trade bodies say.
The north-eastern region has almost 98 per cent of its borders with neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Myanmar, China and Bhutan and only two per cent with the mainland of the country and hence there is a tremendous possibility of developing border trade, says R C Agrawal, president of the North-East Federation on International Trade (NEFIT).
Lamenting that initiatives from both the Central and neighbouring governments have been lacking, Agrawal, who formed the organisation last year for development of export trade, says, "there were 40 declared land customs stations of which 15 were only functional and only one inland container depot and an international cargo terminal in the region”.
Stating that unofficial barter trade was already on with several bordering countries, Agrawal feels that the government was also losing revenue in the process.
He says the import export level was also very low with Rs 200 crore worth goods exported to these countries and Rs 20 crore worth goods imported annually.
NEFIT, he says, had, however, taken several initiatives in the area of infrastructure development, border township and was successful in pursuading ministry of commerce to extend transport subsidy on agro-horticulture products to all the land custom station of the region.
Bureau Report
Lamenting that initiatives from both the Central and neighbouring governments have been lacking, Agrawal, who formed the organisation last year for development of export trade, says, "there were 40 declared land customs stations of which 15 were only functional and only one inland container depot and an international cargo terminal in the region”.
Stating that unofficial barter trade was already on with several bordering countries, Agrawal feels that the government was also losing revenue in the process.
He says the import export level was also very low with Rs 200 crore worth goods exported to these countries and Rs 20 crore worth goods imported annually.
NEFIT, he says, had, however, taken several initiatives in the area of infrastructure development, border township and was successful in pursuading ministry of commerce to extend transport subsidy on agro-horticulture products to all the land custom station of the region.
Bureau Report