North East Watch

Gangtok, June 7, 2009 : With the Sino-India border trade at Nathu La recording no transaction last month, the Sikkim government has asked Governor B P Singh to convince the Centre to review the goods on the trade list urgently to save the bilateral trade from becoming a non-event.

“We have requested the Governor to take up with the Commerce Ministry the review of the goods on the trade list during his proposed visit to New Delhi in order to revive the traders’ interests in the border trade,” an official of the state Commerce and Industries Department told PTI here.

A delegation of the Commerce and Industries Department led by its director Ujjwal Gurung will visit the National Capital soon to take up the matter with the Centre, he said.

At the local level, the state government held a meeting with the Army and custom officials two days ago to dwell on the measures to boost border trade by way of the review of the goods list and improvement in the infrastructure between Gangtok and Nathu La, the official said.

The historic Nathu La trade hit its lowest point in May last, the first month of the resumption of trade this season, with no transaction being recorded nor traders from either side visiting the marts for business purposes apparently to protest against the failure of the two governments to review the list of goods.

The officer said the key to resurrect the border trade lay strictly with the Centre which alone could decide the direction of the Sino-India border trade at Nathu La, he said.

Officials here concede that the traders have a point as the goods on the trade list were not not financially viable considering the costs incurred by them in import of goods.

Source : The Shillong Times