Imphal, April 24: With the main objective of promoting trade and commerce between the people of Manipur and Myanmar, National Identity Protection Committee (NIPCO) would be organising a tour to different parts of Myanmar.

To be sponsored by the Commerce and Industries Department of the State Government, an 80-member delegation would set out for the tour leaving Imphal for Myanmar tomorrow.

During the course of the tour, the delegation would be covering different parts of Myanmar to interact with the people and organise workshops.

Addressing a press conference in this connection at the Keishampat office of NIPCO here today, its president Y Nabachandra said that the underlining motive behind organising the tour is to promote trade and commerce activities between the people of Manipur and Myanmar in a more legal manner.

He pointed out that the required survey work of the proposed Trans Asian Highway which is essential for the success of the Look East Policy of the Government of India has been completed and as around 1400 kms of the proposed Highway is to pass through Manipur, it is high time for us to find out and understand how to reap the benefit through trade and commerce.

The tour would cover various places of Myanmar like Tamu, Munywa, Kalewa, Kalemyo, etc.

At Munywa, a workshop to be attended by officials of Myanmarese Government, Director of Trade and Commerce of Mizoram, officials of Trade and Commerce Industries of the Government of Manipur, representatives and resource persons from the Manipur University and senior citizens of the State would be organised, Nabachandra informed.

Expressing hope that the tour would help in promoting trading activities between India and Myanmar, Nabachandra noted that volume of trade activities between the two neighbouring countries from April 12, 1995 to January 31, 2008 has been registered as around Rs 287.70 crores.

However, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade has recorded the annual trade volume as around Rs 1000 crores only.

Since the manner of trading going on currently is most illegal, the tour is being conducted to spread awareness on promotion of trading activities in a more legal manner, the NIPCO president reiterated.

The delegates would be participating in the tour have been asked to come to the office of NIPCO within 9 am tomorrow.

The delegates would return to Imphal on May 3 .

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