NATHU LA- LOW RESPONSE

Nathu La trade draws low response in its fourth season

Nathula, Sat, 09 May 2009 ANI

Nathula (Sikkim), May 9 (ANI): The fourth season of trade between Sikkim and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) through the Nathu La Pass of Sikkim has reflected disappointment among Indian traders who still haven't received travel passes since border trade was opened on May 4.

The travel passes of around 62 Sikkimese traders are still pending with the East district administration which is the prime agency to issue all such passes for the border trade causing a major disappointment.

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Anil Gupta, General Secretary of Indo-China Border trade association of Sikkim said, " the low-key inauguration ceremony of May 4 and the delay of travel passes will create a unharmonious situation between the two countries and will refrain Indian traders from visiting the Tibetian side from next year."With the delay of travel passes a bitter international relation will be created affecting the trade. The identity of Sikkim will also be spoiled in the national scenario. The travel passes shouldn't have been delayed as it was declared officially that the international border trade would begin and every thing should have been well organized. Now because our traders can't go there creating a lot of disappointment on their side," he added.

Border trade between the two countries is also sluggish due to restrictions in tradable items. India can import 15 items from China including silk, yak pelts and horses, and export 29 goods that include textiles, tea, rice, vegetables and herbs.

Business people from both sides of the border are seeking a broadening of the list of items traded through the pass.

Kesang Diki, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) commerce official was unsatisfied with the facilities given to them on the Indian side and with the unfavourable weather causing further threat to their goods.

"When the fellow Indian traders come to our place to trade we provide all the basic necessities like carrying the good and picking from the bus stand and keeping inside the stall. We don't let them face problems but out here we face the trouble of carrying our own good to the mart. I also feel that a revamped list of items should be of prior concern if you want a good trade between India and China," she said.

In July 2006, the two Asian giants, re-opened trade across the Nathu La Pass as part of a broader rapprochement. The move marked the first direct trade link between the nuclear-armed neighbours since a bitter border war in 1962.

Under the agreement, trade takes place four days a week - Monday to Thursday - beginning May each year and lasting until November 30 when snow makes the area impassable.

Although two-way trade was slow in the first three seasons, about 1,900 Chinese traders crossed the border separated by a rusty barbed wire marker to the bazaar of Sherathang, five kilometers below the pass on the Indian side. About 1,200 Indian traders headed to the Rinchengang interim market in Tibet on the Chinese side, 16 km from the border, during the first three seasons. (ANI)

GANGTOK: 4 May 2009

The fourth year of Indo-China peripheral border trade kicked off on Monday with a ceremony at Sherathang trade mart near Nathula border and Rinchengong trade mart on the Chinese side. Traders on both sides greeted each other and offered khada (silk scarf) and foodstuff. The state department of commerce and industry officials with director Ujjal Gurung attended the ceremony. Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) personnel handled the entire show at the checkpost and trade mart centre with immigration and customs department of the government of India. President of the Sikkim Chamber of Commerce S.K. Sarda and others were present too. Trade between the two countries will remain open till November. It is reported that trade at Nathula border has not shown the expected progress as the merchandise listed by both the governments in 1990s has become obsolete now and do not command market demand these days. The other two border trade points in Himachal and Uttarakhand also have been experiencing the same problem. Only one item, silk yarn, is doing well in Sikkim. In fact, reports pouring in suggest that these three border trade points have now become dens for international smugglers. With the connivance of officials of central agencies, responsible for supervising border trade, unlisted items are entering our country in huge quantities. When legal trade in Sikkim last year amounted to Rs 96 lakh, smuggled Chinese electronic items saw a hefty business of Rs 15 crore at this border. Government of India has taken some action by suspending and transferring guilty officials who were assigned to monitor the border trade. This has not improved matters so far. According to reports of central intelligence wings, smuggled Chinese mobile sets have created havoc in the Indian market. It is reported that in the recent Mumbai terrorist attack, Chinese mobiles without any code numbers were found to be used for blasting. The ministry of telecom recently has directed all concerned to ensure that no service providers should issue any SIM card without obtaining the IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) number of the handset. It is observed that for quite sometime, bordering countries are going out of their way to intercept our mobile network. The department of telecom is now taking steps to check that.
( Source: Economic Times)