|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 4 January 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Lanka-Nepal Business Council urges stronger ties Attempts made by the Sri Lanka-Nepal Business Council (SLNBC) to promote trade and industrial ties between Sri Lankan business people and their Nepali counterparts have not achieved the desired results, Jagath Savanadasa, President of the Council said recently. He said this at a party the Nepali Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Bala Bahadur Kunwar hosted for a Nepali delegation comprising key private sector and government officials at his Colombo residence. SLNBC members were also invited to this function with the objective of establishing ties with the visiting delegation. Savanadasa said this failure was primarily due to civil unrest in Nepal. For three Years, repeated efforts had been made by the Council in this regard with little progress. The statistics of Sri Lanka-Nepal trade for the last 12 years reveal a dismal picture. The only year in which a significant level of trade was recorded was 1992 when Sri Lanka imported a little over Rs 900 million worth of goods mainly lentils from Nepal. Exports that year were Rs 43 million. Sri Lanka, upto April this year, had recorded a mere Rs 18.02 million in exports while there were no imports. He added that the Government, in an endeavour to help Nepali exporters to increase exports, had last week announced the offer of 57 trade items at concessionary tariff rates under the South Asia Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA). This list has been submitted to the Finance Ministry for approval by the Department of Commerce which is to be gazetted shortly. Savanadasa stated that products including cosmetics, leather items, plastic sheets and textiles, apparels, sports goods, belts, carpets and mats, pastels and paintings had been provided with 10-20 per cent tariff concessions (under the SAPTA agreement). He urged the delegates to convey to the Nepal business community this offer of the Sri Lankan Government. Some of Nepal's main imports during the last 12 years are knitted or crocheted fabrics, potassium hydroxide, brooms, brushes, handles and lentils. Savanadasa said these delegates should activate trading and business interests to conduct greater trade between Nepal and Sri Lanka. He mentioned the largely untapped potential in the tourism sector and the need for direct air travel between Kathmandu and Colombo. This would, besides helping increase tourist traffic, greatly facilitate pilgrimages. Nepal should also take advantage of Sri Lanka's experience in the IT sector. The Nepali delegation invited a Sri Lankan trade mission to visit Nepal with a view to establishing direct ties with the business community. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
