Bangladesh Commerce Minister Ghulam Muhammed Quader on Friday alleged that procedural bottlenecks on part of the Indian Government were hindering the country’s exports to the North-East.
According to him, India needs to improve its infrastructure at the land ports to boost bilateral trade.
“An issue of concern for our business community at the moment is the existence of several non-tariff and para-tariff barriers to our bilateral trade. Non-acceptance of quality certificates of many of our products by the Indian authority at the border is a bottleneck,” Quader told reporters here.
He was here to address the 158th annual general meeting of the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Stating that both the countries should reduce the trade barriers to a minimum level, he said, “We also urge the simplification of some rules and regulations that impede sound business relations. The traders in Bangladesh would particularly appreciate an improvement in land facilities on the Indian side of the border.”
Inviting foreign investments, Quader said Bangladesh would allow 100 per cent foreign equity and an “unrestricted exit policy” for the investors.
Bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh stood at more than $5 billion, while Bangladesh’s export to India was nearly $500 million.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for the North-East Region, Paban Singh Ghatowar, said there was a need for development of infrastructure to facilitate India’s trade with Southeast Asia.
“Land connectivity through establishment of transport links between India’s Northeast and Southeast Asia would go a long way in facilitating movements of goods and people on both sides,” Ghatowar said.
He pointed out that connectivity projects such as multi-modal road link to Mizoram and inland waterway to connect with Sittwe port in Myanmar were in the pipeline.