Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 17 2010:
The clearance for trading 40 items between Myanmar and India in Moreh was given 10 years back in 2000 even though it was started only in this current year.
The Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), Shillong is learnt to have concealed the clearance given by the Directorate General of Foreign on February 29 .
The matter came to light when team members of Exim Manipur who participated in the BIMSTEC-2010 organized by the Indian Chambers of Commerce Guwahati on November 12 made an enquiry into the matter.
Authority of Customs at Shillong had provided the clearance note only after the state Commerce and Industries Department sought a clarification on whether normal Indo-Myanmar trade activities has its legal validity and inquired of items that were included in the trade agreement.
As per information provided by the commissioner of customs at Shillong, it was found that Directorate General of Foreign Trade, New Delhi had given clearance for normal trading of 40 items and other commodities under tariff rates of duty of the country.
The intimation was however given to the state principal secretary (trade and commerce) on October 29 only.
In this regard, Exim director Romesh briefing media persons today at Hotel Classic blamed that the delay in getting information on the clearance given by the Directorate of Foreign Trade was due to absence of a separate directorate for trade under the Manipur government.
He said that in Mizoram, the state government takes kin interest in the border trade.
But in the state state government is not taking interest.