Kathmandu, Feb. 3
Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NICCI) has said that the present provision of custodian right of Nepali goods in the hands of Indian clearing agents has created a big problem.
"This legal provisions shifts the liability to the clearing agent and
therefore, dispute arises as the clearing agent cannot claim money from importers
of Nepal and can always shift the problem," President of NICCI Shreejana
Rana said at a meeting between the officials of NICCI and North East
Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi) held at the former's secretariat
in Kathmandu the other day.
According to her, there
should be provisions to involve the Nepali freight forwarders and hold them
liable with agency cooperation.
She also said that
the electronic cargo tracking system between India and Nepal is of no use and
involves at least INR 3,400 per container. "This is too expensive and
Nepali importers should not be made to pay such charges for tracking the transit
cargo within Indian territory," she maintained.
Rana further
emphasised on the prospects and opportunities and challenges in trade in
various sectors between the two countries as Nepal has huge potential in hydropower
projects, infrastructure, SMEs-agriculture and tourism. Collaboration in such
sectors could be beneficial to investors as well as Government of both the
countries, she said.
Convener of Energy
Committee, Batu Lamichhane, said that if the power could be
supplied through Nepal to India, the coal-based power could be replaced in
India.
NEDFI chairman and Managing Director, PVSLN Murty, Executive Director SK
Baruha, Senior Professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Prof. Mahendra P. Lama,
Vice President of NICCI, Harkirat Singh Bedi, Secretary General, Ramesh Sharma
and other officials participated in the discussion.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 4 February 2023.
No comments:
Post a Comment