PM Deuba inaugurates Nepal’s first-ever dry port in Chobhar

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba inaugurated the country's first-ever dry port amid a programme organised in Chobhar Kathmandu today. The dry port was constructed to facilitate the country's international trade. PM Deuba inaugurated the dry port by cutting the ribbon and allowing three loaded vehicles through its main entrance gate. On the occasion, he expressed the confidence that the dry port will be a milestone in developing the federal capital Kathmandu as an international trade hub. The construction of dry port would facilitate export-based trade and availability of a one-stop service including customs screening and quarantine would reduce costs and help administrative process, the prime minister said. PM Deuba further claimed that the dry port would promote export by facilitating trade and enhancing transparency. The dry port is expected to further ease the trade through Kathmandu and make the trade of goods and services competitive and effective by reducing costs involved in the export. Saying that administrative hassles are still pervading the transport of goods and services in Nepal's foreign trade, PM Deuba said such a high-quality trade infrastructure would help lessen the hassles. "Taking this problem into consideration, the government has laid emphasis on the construction of dry port and improvement of border checkpoints and customs corridor," he said, stressing the need for developing such infrastructure for the promotion of international trade. [caption id="attachment_21747" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba addresses a programme organised to inaugurate the country's first-ever dry port in Chobhar, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Photo: RSS[/caption] The prime minister said trade deficit could be reduced by increasing competitiveness of trade and industrial products of Nepal and exporting Nepal-made goods to international markets. By doing so domestic and foreign investors will be attracted to industrial development that would ultimately help create jobs within the country, Deuba claimed. PM Deuba assured that his government was committed to creating an environment for industrial development and attracting foreign investment. He shared that various programmes were introduced for reforms at the policy-level and procedural level for the same. He asserted, 'It's imperative to emphasize increasing national productions based on local raw materials and local skills to reduce trade deficit. On the other hand, development of trade-related infrastructures is needed to reduce the cost of import," he added. Furthermore, the prime minister spoke of the need to simplify and reduce the existing procedural hassles in foreign trade and said he was ready to collaborate with the private sector to promote trade. By RSS READ ALSO:

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