FEXIMO celebrates silver jubilee, talks Moreh trade
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 30 2020: Federation of Exporter-Importer Organisation, Manipur ( FEXIMO) celebrated its silver jubilee on a low scale at its office at Imphal, opposite to Telephone Bhavan, today.

FEXIMO was earlier known as Indo-Myanmar Border Traders' Union ( IMBTU), said a statement of FEXIMO.

Delivering a keynote address, general secretary of the organisation, Ph Ibotombi Sharma said that IMBTU was established on August 30, 1995, shortly after a border trade between India and Myanmar was implemented on April 12, 1995.India and Myanmar signed a border trade agreement on January 21, 1994.Apart from urging the State Government from time to time to install/construct requisite infrastructures at Moreh to facilitate trade and commerce activities there, FEXIMO had also organised several awareness programmes on international trade at Imphal, Moreh, Churachandpur, Jiribam by collaborating with Commerce & Industries Department, he said.

Saying that the organisation has been urging the Central and State Governments, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), New Delhi to install/establish a warehouse, weight bridge, cold storage centre, Integrated Check Post, Trade Centre, Guest House etc.

at Moreh, Ph Ibotombi contended that some developmental changes are seen at the border town, but much are yet to be done.

Altogether 15 members of the organisation have attended a training programme on International Trade held at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT, New Delhi) and sponsored by Central Govt, the general secretary continued.

He also said that FEXIMO obtained an Import Export Code ( IEC ) to deal with export or import business.

On the other hand, advisor of FEXIMO, Yumnamcha Dilipkumar opined that establishing a full-fledged Directorate of Trade & Commerce will help in improving the GDP of the State.

Saying that both legal and illegal trades take place at Moreh, he added that goods passing through LCS, Moreh Gate No 1 is quite low when compared to Namphalong Gate no 2.Dilipkumar, who is also a convenor of MANPAC, questioned if the taxes collected from Gate no 2 by different departments reach the exchequer of the Government.

Though Indo-Myanmar is sealed to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, narcotic items continue to smuggle in the State, Dilipkumar said and asked how these smuggled items are brought into the State with border sealed.

Further asking what legal actions have been taken up against those drug smugglers who were arrested by the security personnel, Dilipkumar said that protecting the drug lords by influential persons will demoralize honest officials.

To avoid a great economic crisis in the post COVID era, the Government must also chalk out a strategy to increase trade volume as and when the border is opened, he propounded.

While FEXIMO president, Watham Nabachandra, delivering the presidential speech, urged the State Government to reopen the branch office of DGFT and implement the letter of credit mechanism for the convenience of traders.

He also asked the State Government to enact a trade policy for Manipur at the earliest.

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