Nepal should set up a consulate, or at least a trade facilitation centre, here to give a boost to trade with India, according to Visakhapatnam port chairman MT Krishnababu.

Speaking as the chief guest at a one-day workshop on Nepal-India trade organised by the Nepal embassy on Wednesday, he said Visakhapatnam had been notified as the second gateway port after Kolkata/Haldia for Nepal a year ago but the trade from here was still in a nascent stage.

Krishnababu said the Vizag container terminal is one of the best in the country, with a deep draft, and it would offer great advantages to the Nepalese trade. “Though geographically Kolkata/Haldia is nearer to Nepal, Vizag may work out cheaper, considering other factors and advantages here,” he said.

Rail connectivity Krishnababu said the Container Corporation of India (Concor) had set up a logistics park here at a cost of ₹500 crore and Vizag also enjoyed excellent rail connectivity. He urged the Nepalese trade to make use of the facilities here.

Nepal’s Ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyaya said that for land-locked Nepal, India is the biggest trading partner and all efforts would be made to facilitate trade to Nepal from here. He said Vizag port had excellent facilities for trade. “However, there are a few issues to be sorted out and both Nepal and India are striving earnestly to clear all hurdles,” he said.

Trade deficit is a matter of great concern for Nepal and “we are making all efforts to boost our exports to India and other countries,” he said.

Purushottam Ojha, a former Nepalese bureaucrat, said the India-Nepal trade treaties have to be revisited to remove some of the obstacles.

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