Biswajit bats for e-visa facility
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 12 2019: Commerce and Industry Minister Th Biswajit has urged Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal to open an e-visa facility and logistic park at the Integrated Check Post, Moreh so as to promote cross-border trade between India and Myanmar through Moreh.

Speaking at a meeting of the Board of Traders held today at Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi under the aegis of the Director General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Biswajit pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a land port at Moreh in 2019 under the Government of India's Act East Policy.

He said that India can tap opportunities provided by the strategic location of Manipur at the junction of India and South East Asia.

Biswajit bats for e-visa facility

After an agreement was signed between India and Myanmar on January 21, 1994, India-Myanmar border trade was officially opened on April 22, 1995 .

There was a tariff concession of 40 per cent on the border trade but the same concession was withdrawn by a notification issued by the Central Government in 2015, Biswajit said while urging the Central Government to restore the tariff concession.

He also highlighted the need to improve banking infrastructure at Moreh so that the cross-border trade can grow at a healthy pace.

Biswajit urged the Central Government to open a forex (full fledged money changer) facility at Imphal.

Many commodities imported from China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia etc are very popular in different States of India but no transit permit/transit duty system which would facilitate easy import of these commodities through Myanmar has been put in place, he rued.

In the absence of a such a system, the volume of illegal trade has been growing at the expense of formal trade, he said while pointing out the urgent need to introduce a transit permit/transit duty system.

Drawing attention of Piyush Goyal to open an e-visa facility at ICP Moreh.

Biswajit said that as of now visas can be obtained at Mandalay and Yangon only.

It is essential to see that the Government of Myanmar opens a visa facility at Kalemiyo too.

This would facilitate people to people contact between the two countries apart from boosting tourism and cross-border trade, he asserted.

Informing the gathering that the State Government has been working to open a logistic park and even the necessary area has been identified, Biswajit urged assistance of the Central Government towards establishing the logistic park.

The proposed logistic park would go a long way in industrialising the State, he said.

He also urged the Union Commerce and Industry Ministry to translate into action the Government of India's plan to open border haats at New Somtal of Chandel district and Behiang of Churachandpur district.

Commerce and Industry Principal Secretary P Vaiphei too attended the meeting.