IMPHAL, August 30 NNN : Border trade of the Indo-Myanmar has not been benefitting the traders as expected because the 1995 trade agreement is quite primitive in nature. Another negativity of the border trade is that the food items that come from Myanmar to India are also not been checked whether they are fit for consumption in want of laboratories to test the food items. The luke-warm border trading has been due to the lack of knowledge in trade by the local people.
These were deliberated during the 18th Foundation Day celebration of the Indo-Myanmar Border Trade Union (IMBTU) held at Manipur Press Club in Imphal today.
All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) president W. Shamjai while speaking on the occasion pointed out that food items coming to India from Myanmar side through the border town Moreh need to have a laboratory test to see if these food items are safe for consumption.
“However, this cannot be done now as there is not a single laboratory for such task,” rued the senior journalist while Manipur commerce and industries minister Govindas Konthoujam assured that a laboratory only to test the food items coming to India through Moreh be set up by next year.
It said the above packaged food items are reportedly imported from Myanmar for selling in Manipur without labelling and import license and without indicating the name of the manufacturer, batch number, date of expiry.
Such imported food items are selling in the state in violation of Section 23 & 25 of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 and Regulation No-22 of the Food and Standards (packaging & Labelling) Regulation, 2011, the order said.
Meanwhile, in today’s function, speaking as the chief guest, minister Govindas Konthoujam said due to the primitive nature of the 1995 border trade agreement, the traders are not getting benefits as expected. The minister mooted to modify the agreement to cope with the fast changing business scenerio in the South Asian countries impacted by India’s Look East Policy.
Prof N Mohendro suggested for the awareness campaigns both in the hills and in the valley districts injecting the people the knowledge of the border trade.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/border-trade-not-progressing/
