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| Sunday, 5 October 2003 |
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Local trade chambers welcome Karnataka delegation by Elmo Leonard The recent visit to Sri Lanka by a 70-member fact finding delegation from the 75-year-old Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in India is seen by local trade chambers as a practical move in reciprocal trade between the two neighbouring states. The delegates signed memoranda of understanding with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka and Chamber of Small Industry and held one-to-one meetings with them. An Indian government spokesman said that excellent opportunities await both sides. The KCCI delegates will meet in their principal town in Hubli to evaluate the outcome of their week-long stay here. There are excellent possibilities in areas such as handicrafts, bags, garments, textiles, food products and gems and jewellery, the spokesman said. The delegates met Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Nirupam Sen to seek the continuation of the deals they had made. Fifteen delegates from the jewellery sector visited the FACETS gem and jewellery show in Colombo and some expressed interest in buying coloured gemstones. India is the largest consumer of gold with imports of 750 tonnes per year. Some jewellers were interested in two-way trade in jewellery, gold and silver ornaments and artifacts. Indian industrialists said that the imminent globalisation process would result in many of its small industries closing down. They were particularly interested in cooperating with the Sri Lanka Chamber of Small Industry in a bid for survival. KCCI also wants to explore the possibility of exporting their products to Pakistan, through Sri Lanka. Beetle leaves produced in India enter Pakistan through Dubai, a delegate pointed out. The delegates met with Irrigation Minister Gamini Jayawickrema Perera and Agriculture Minister S.B. Dissanayake to discuss the possibility of farmers from the two countries to inter-exchange food crops under the Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement. Although five delegates from this South-Western Indian state sell rice, some also wanted to buy rice from Sri Lanka. "It depends on the price," they said. Among the delegates were Dr S.M. Mundinamani from the Indian University of Agricultural Sciences and other agro-economists. They wanted to find out about Sri Lanka's climatic factors, India's climatic factors being subject to great variation. "We can buy back seed, for instance. What we seek is an extension of agricultural land between the two nations for our mutual benefit," KCCI's Import-Export Manager, Kumar Tiwari said. The Indian move augurs well at a time when Sri Lanka has an excess production of rice and farmers want to diversify into other crops. Among the agricultural items on their lists were cereals, groundnuts, maize, cotton, chillies, onions, vegetables, tamarind, fruits, processed food, tea and agricultural consultancy services. Tiwari said the Indian private sector advocates borderless trade in the SAARC region. "There must be no duty on either side, no one dominating; free trade is the first step towards economic corporation and peace among neighbouring states," he said. He reasoned that it would cost less to reach Sri Lanka from Bangalore, for instance, as the time taken to travel is one hour. From some cities in Karnataka, it would take three hours to reach Jaipur. In India, KCCI is recognised as a "mighty" organisation in its field. The chamber has members from 23 districts of Karnataka state and over 3000 members and 150 associations. Of seven delegates in the textile and handicraft sector, five were women. Most of them wanted to sell their products such as sarees, garments and fabrics. Some also wanted to buy ready-made garments, bags, sarees and handicrafts. Dr Shailaja Naik from the Department of Textiles and Apparel visited local garment, textile, handloom and power loom manufacturers to understand the market. |
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