Preparations being made to conduct Yangon-Kathmandu flight

 Kathmandu, Aug. 17

Preparations are at the full swing in Myanmar to conduct flight to Nepal from Yangon, informed Ambassador of Myanmar to Nepal, U Sein Oo. 

A proposal to conduct flight between Yangon to Gautam Buddha International Airport is sent to the government of Myanmar, he said while speaking at the 12^th Annual General Assembly of the Nepal-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NMCCI) here on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Nepali tourism entrepreneurs and business community are urging to start aviation services between the two countries at the earliest.

This year marks the 62^nd year of the establishment of the bilateral relations between the two countries which happened in 1960. The NMCCI was established in 2011 while its counterpart in Myanmar was established in 2018.

Ambassador Oo said that people to people relations have been already cemented.

"We are going to expand trade and economic relations as well as air connectivity between the two countries," he said.

Ambassador nominee to Myanmar, Harish Chandra Ghimire, said that there were immense possibilities to develop cultural, business and linguistic linkages between the two countries.

"Unity in diversity is the national mantra in both the countries while China and India are the neighbours of both the countries. Myanmar is also a bridge between the ASEAN and SAARC, it is a member of the former and observer of the latter," he said.

He maintained that Nepalis in Myanmar is the second largest diaspora which can work as a soft power in case of Nepal. Herbs and ayurvedic medicines can be prime products to export to Nepal.

"Our relations between people was deeply rooted for about one and a half century. Setting up bilateral chamber of commerce and citizen forums will certainly increase interaction, trade and cultural exchange," he said.

Meanwhile, the NMCCI has urged the governments of both the countries to establish direct air link between them in order to promote trade, investment and tourism.

President of NMCCI, Shiva Kumar Agrawal, said, "We want to boost the trade, investment and tourism in Nepal and Myanmar. Nepal should make certain arrangements to enhance them. There should be a direct air link between the two countries," he said.

Myanmar's chambers and business community has also suggested this time and again, he stated.

According to him, the NMCCI has the objective of promoting business and investment relations between the two nations in cooperation with the governments of their countries. "Our priority agenda also include enhancing export, and creating direct link to Myanmar," he said.

In the last Fiscal Year 2021/22, Nepal imported goods worth Rs. 2.41 billion from Myanmar while the export size was of only Rs. 86 million. Major exports from Nepal are herbs, pashmina, garment, synthetic fibres, wigs etc. while imports include beans, lentils, pea, pepper, rubber, veneer, and garments.

Himalaya Airlines had briefly conducted flight to and from Myanmar but the service ceases to exist now. Hence, Agrawal suggested that the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation should launch the service and promote it in both the countries. "We would like to request to the airlines companies from Myanmar as well as Himalaya Airlines to conduct flight to connect the two nations," he said.

Nepal can export food items, garments including pashmina, carpets, handicrafts and tea to Myanmar. Likewise, Myanmar can export beans, rubber, gemstones to Nepal. Since Nepal is a virgin investment destination, it offers lots of opportunities in investment in tourism, agriculture, industry, hydroelectricity and infrastructure and logistics where Myanmar businessmen can invest.

Agrawal also requested the governments of both the countries to materialize the objectives of the bilateral Agreement on Trade and Investment that they signed in 2018 during the visit of then State Counselor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi. The agreement had clause to facilitate bilateral investment and trade primarily in food, tourism and cultural exchanges.

Since about 88 per cent population of Myanmar follow Buddhism, Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, can be a prime attraction to many of them. At the same time, the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa has come into operation and regular flights are being operated from there.

Sunil Kumar Bansal, President of Foreign Trade Association, said that there is a possibility for the export of Nepali handicraft products.

Lokmanya Golchha, former Dean of Consular Corps, stressed on strengthening bilateral trade relations between the two countries saying that it was way below being satisfactory so concerns should be paid to the growing trade deficit. "We can attract many Myanmar tourists to Lumbini and the Buddha Circuit," he said. He recalled the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, of which he previously served as the vice-president, with the Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and Industry to promote bilateral trade and investment.

Rajesh Kumar Agrawal, Vice-President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) said that prior to COVID-19 pandemic about 35,000 Myanmar tourists visited Nepal annually, so there was a need to tap on this potential in the days to come. Government and private sector initiatives are needed to promote Nepal in the international market, including Myanmar. 

  Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 18 August 2021.