Notice (8): Trying to access array offset on value of type null [APP/View/Articles/view.ctp, line 115]
Notice (8): Trying to access array offset on value of type null [APP/View/Articles/view.ctp, line 115]
Notice (8): Trying to access array offset on value of type null [APP/View/Articles/view.ctp, line 116]

Export less than PDNA Projection

  1 min 41 sec to read

May 1: Despite reconstruction activities and rebound in trade after the massive 2015 Gorkha earthquake and the immediate blockade at Nepal-India border, export in 2015/16 was 20 percent less than the figures projected by the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report, said Paras Kharel, research director at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE).

Speaking at a program, he also said that export in 2016/17 was still less than exports in the pre-earthquake year, 2013/14.

Kharel also said that rerouting of Nepal and China trade taking place through land to sea via India due to the shutdown of Tatopani border after the earthquake coupled with inadequacy of the Rasuwa border to handle China trade is estimated to have incurred time cost equivalent to a tariff of 18 to 62 percent. He said so in a discussion forum organised by SAWTEE in Kathmandu on Sunday (April 29).

Likewise, Rabi Shankar Sainju, joint-secretary at the Ministry of Commerce, said that Keyrung will be able to connect Nepal to Europe through Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. He also urged the traders to be more open to adapt to new routes citing example of Vishkhapatnam Port, which is offering efficient services in comparison to Kolkata or Haldiya ports.

Similarly, Bachchu Poudel, president at Nepal Trans Himalaya Border Commerce Association, drew the attention to the increase in cost of the traders doing business with China through Tatopani. “Further shutdown of the Tatopani border has also brought the economy in Sindhupalchowk to a standstill,” he said.

The discussion forum was organized by SAWTEE under the project ‘Initiating dialogue on Post Disaster Reconstruction Experience’ undertaken with support from The Asia Foundation (TAF).

Some 25 participants from various organizations, including research institutions, experts, activists and development partners, participated in the event.

SAWTEE has undertaken similar discussion forums related to post-disaster reconstruction under themes such as labour migration, expenditure tracking, urban spaces, conflict resolution, gender implications, macroeconomic impact, among others.

 

Deprecated (16384): Using key `action` is deprecated, use `url` directly instead. [CORE/Cake/View/Helper/FormHelper.php, line 383]
No comments yet. Be the first one to comment.