The Hindu Business Line : Border trade with China begins at Nathula

Snapshot
None of the Indian traders could cross the border due to non-availability of the travel pass.
However, 60 Chinese traders crossed the border on the first day to participate in this year’s trade.

Sarikah Atreya

Gangtok, April 4 For the fourth consecutive year, Nathula border trade with China started on Monday with a low-key participation of Indian traders.

None of the Indian traders could cross the border due to non-availability of the travel pass.

However, 60 Chinese traders crossed the border on the first day to participate in this year’s trade. The border reopened at 11 a.m. in the morning.

Dismayed at the non-availability of travel passes, Indian traders expressed their dissatisfaction over not reaching up to Nathula border.

“Understanding the urgency, we request the concerned authority to kindly issue the passes as earliest as possible,” Mr Anil Kumar Gupta, General Secretary of Indo-China Border Trade Association, told presspersons.

The business was negligible as most of the items brought from either side were the unlisted items. Stating that the matter of revision of lists of items still lying in the Ministry, Mr Ujwal Gurung, Director of Commerce and Industries Department, pointed out Mr Mani Shanker Iyer, Chairman of NEC, has already placed a proposal to declare Nathula trade as open trade under most-favoured nation.

Nathula trade, which was reopened in 2006 had a total export of Rs 10 lakh, 27 lakh and 97 lakh in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively and the import Rs 10 lakh, 7 lakh and 1 lakh respectively.

Amidst slight drizzling of snow, Mr Gurung and Ms Sumitra Pradhan, Deputy Secretary, offered khadas (traditional silk scarves) to the visiting traders at the Nathula post.

warm welcome

Later, traders from both sides accorded each other a warm welcome at Sherathang Mart hoping for more business prosperity this year.

“We are not happy with the response from the Indian traders on first day,” said Ms Kesang Diki, an official from Trade and Commerce, Chinese region.

While interacting with the media she said, revision of the lists of items was the major factor on which business transactions would depend this year.

“India desperately needs to come up with more infrastructure facilities for smooth trade,” she said. However, Mr Gurung said that the Ministry of Commerce and Industries Department had already sanctioned Rs 8 crores for the construction of a high- class mart at Sherathang and work would commence soon.

“Also the construction work of parking yard, cafeteria would be soon completed,” he added.

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