Low key border trade

GANGTOK, November 26: The Indian traders have recorded abysmally low business transactions in this month even as the border trade for the fourth consecutive year is scheduled to end on November 30.

A report prepared by the State Department of Commerce and Industries Department reveals that in the month of September, the export business transactions amounted to Rs. 27, 47, 200 while the import was nil.

This has been not the case with their Chinese counterparts as the recent data reveals. According to the data, the Chinese traders had carried out trade worth Rs. 36, 78, 900 in the month of November alone. Their exported items included canned food, copper items, textiles, vanaspati oil, tea leaves and mini blankets.

“Despite slight increase in the volume of trade in the past three years, the Nathu-la Border trade would be enhanced only if the list of items is revised,” said one of the officers of the Department.

The official said that the department has in the recent past written several letters to the Central Government apprising for increase of trade items but no response on the matter has been received yet.

It was also learnt that the Central government may increase the tenure of the business for the Sikkimese people, contradicting to the five year tenure given exclusively for the Sikkimese people scheduled to be over next year.

The import export transactions at Nathula border trade since 2006
Year Import Export

2006 Rs. 8, 87,000 Rs. 10, 83000

2007 Rs. 27, 87000 Rs. 6, 88000

2008 nil Rs. 34, 6000

But surprisingly Now daily has a different story on trade thru Nathu la