Indian border-state trade envoys to tour Burma

Saturday, 04 September 2010 02:13 Khaing Kyaw Mya

New Delhi (Mizzima) – Trade ministers from the four northeastern Indian states bordering Burma are set to meet Burmese trade and investment delegates this month in the military-ruled country in a bid to boost border trade and overcome hurdles, an Indian Chamber of Commerce official said.

The bilateral meetings organised by the chamber are to be held in Rangoon and Mandalay from September 13 to 16, attended by delegates of Myanmar (Burma) Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries (UMFCCI) and the Burmese Foreign Affairs Minister Nyan Win, the chamber official said in Kolkata.

The ministers and Burmese delegates will highlight border trade problems, attempt to promote a smoother trade relationship and look for fresh investments in each other’s countries, the official said.

“We are taking representatives of four states bordering Burma – Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram,” the official said.

The long border areas are rife with illegal and unorganised trade. If these are respectively policed and streamlined it would help both countries, especially the northeastern Indian states, as the area lacks adequate connectivity and transport infrastructure.

“It’s a good opportunity to strengthen border trade, the official added.

Anjan Roy, the economic affairs adviser at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries, believed that improving Indo-Burmese border trade would help to reduce customs duties as most of the goods to and from Burma are shipped through Singapore.

“Trade through the northeastern states will cut the intermediate costs,” Roy said.

On the last leg of their trip, the Indian ministers will visit Naypyidaw, the junta’s secluded national capital.

India is closely eyeing Burma’s rich natural energy resources and government corporations such as the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and gas transporter GAIL of India have secured stakes in gas fields and onshore pipeline projects in Burma.

The Indo-Burmese border trade agreement between the military regime and India following an agreement on January 21, 1994 to boost border trade, agreed to the trade of 22 products, mostly agricultural and primary commodities.

In 2001, a few items were added to the list and in recent years, the Indo-Burmese relationship has been strengthened significantly. On May 12, India added 18 categories for import and export to the permitted commodities, including bicycle parts, life-saving drugs, fertilizers, spices, incense sticks, salt and stainless-steel utensils.

Manipur’s border post is Moreh, opposite Tamu in Burma, while Mizoram’s gate is at Champhai bordering Burma’s Chin State. The Indo-Burmese trade road No. 2, opened in 2004, linking Zokhawthar in Mizoram with Rihkhawdar in Chin State.

Mizoram mainly imports blankets, leather shoes, slippers, life-saving drugs, fertilizers and livestock such as chickens, pigs and cows, said Lalrinliana Sailo, Mizoram Minister of Trade and Commerce, who will be on the Burma trip.

A source close to the matter said a team led by the deputy chairman of the Manipur state planning board and member of the legislative assembly, Bijoy Koijam, along with the state’s secretary of commerce and industry, Oinam Nabakishore Singh, will respresent their state at the meetings.

Meanwhile, Burmese and Thai ambassadors visited India in June and met Bijoy Krishna Handique, 75, India’s Minister of Mines and Minister of Development of the Northeastern Regional (DoNER), in New Delhi to discuss trade, tourism and road connectivity under the Kaladan River transport project.

“The ambassadors are scheduled to visit Manipur and Mizoram from September 19 to 23,” S. C. Sharma Director of DoNER said.

According to official statistics, Indo-Burma bilateral trade touched US$1.19 billion in 2009-2010, a 26.1-per-cent increase year on year. India is the fourth largest trading partner of Burma after Thailand, China and Singapore.

Burma’s exports to India were US$1 billion while its imports from India were US$194 million, of a total of 1.19 billion in fiscal 2009-10.

Mizzima contacted the UMFCCI, which refused to offer any statement on this month’s meeting.