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Bangladesh-Bhutan to sign free-trade agreement |
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September 28, 2000
Thimphu (UNB) - Trading partners from Bangladesh and Bhutan recommended signing of free- trade agreement to boost the volume of trade between the two neighbouring countries. The views came up at a meeting of the visiting delegation of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and the members Bhutanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) here yesterday (Wednesday). Both the business communities endorsed the proposal for a transport protocol between the two countries to facilitate enhanced trade deliveries. The proposal was mooted by Bangladesh delegation leader Abdul Awal Mintoo at the talks. He said such a protocol would provide for direct movement of trucks to and from the landlocked Bhutan and Bangladesh through Indian corridor. "Both the governments should first get the protocol signed and then negotiate with India to help implement it," said BCCI president Ugyen Dorji, who is shortly taking over as Speaker of the Bhutanese National Assembly. The outgoing FBCCI chief, who is leading a 56-member delegation, said such a haulage mechanism would help reduce the cost of business between the two friendly SAARC countries. Bhutanese chamber leaders identified pre-shipment inspection procedures complicated and time-consuming, causing harassment to Bhutanese exporters and hindrance to their exports to Bangladesh. "We support the PSI, but procedures need to be simplified," said BCCI general secretary Tshering Dorji. The lengthy process of clearing the exportable under PSI had discouraged both Bhutanese exporters and Bangladeshi importers. He suggested appointing a PSI agent in Phuentsholing instead of Calcutta with authority to sign clearing documents and expedite the PSI process that now takes seven days. "We want to get it done in a day," Dorji said. The Bangladesh Embassy in Bhutan also apprised the National Board of Revenue of the practical problems faced by the Bhutanese exporters in absence of PSI agent with proper authority in Bhutan. FBCCI president Mintoo, however, assured taking up the matter with the government for a quick solution before the upcoming orange harvesting season. Bhutanese chamber leaders said they are interested in importing Soyabean oil, LP gas, milk-products and swan foam from Bangladesh. But there is some sort of restriction in Bangladesh on export of those items. They demanded concession tariffs for Bhutanese products in Bangladesh in exchange for zero-tariff access offered by Bhutan to Bangladesh. They wanted Bangladesh to improve infrastructure, warehouse transport, inland port at Burimari. Once transport protocol is signed and implemented, Mintoo observed, many policy bottlenecks would be removed automatically. All the issues relating to promotion of bilateral trade also came up for discussion in meetings of the FBCCI delegation with Bhutanese Agriculture and Forest Minister Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji and Minister for Trade and Industry Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk. In 1998-99, Bangladesh exported goods worth 0.03 million US dollars to Bhutan while it imported commodities valued 4.41 million US dollars which proved the two-way trade largely in favour of the tinny Himalayan kingdom. Bhutan mainly exports orange and apple to Bangladesh while imports melamine, textiles and fruit juice from Bangladesh. |