KATHMANDU: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has urged the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal to facilitate business by building a well-equipped road infrastructure in the border area.
NCC President Rajendra Malla along with other officials of the organisation and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song discussed cooperation in trade, investment and tourism between the two countries.
During the meeting held with the Chinese envoy at Chamber Bhawan in Jamal, Kathmandu, on Monday, NCC President Malla said, “China is the main business partner of Nepal. So it is necessary to facilitate business by building convenient road infrastructure in the border areas.” He urged the Chinese Ambassador Chen to take the initiative to build a road to connect Syafrubesi with Kyirong.
He mentioned that the trade rift with China has deepened and asked the Chinese envoy to take initiatives to increase the exports of Nepali goods. Nepal imports goods worth Rs 222 billion from China annually, while the exports to the northern neighbour stand at around Rs 1.76 billion.
The NCC President urged Chinese Ambassador Chen to invest in Nepal's hydropower, tourism and information technology sectors. He said the NCC will take initiatives to ensure the return on investment in Nepal. He urged to increase tourism activities by providing trade and investment as well as cultural exchange between the two countries.
During the meeting with NCC officials, Ambassador Chen said that Nepal is his top priority. He opined that the state policy should be stable for the economic development and prosperity of Nepal, and suggested that the private sector should also take initiative.
The Ambassador mentioned that Nepal is in the process of becoming self-sufficient in hydropower, and suggested that electric vehicles (EVs) should be given high priority to reduce the trade deficit caused by the import of fuel. He pointed out that there is immense potential in Nepal's tourism sector and stressed that it should be developed as an industry.
