Newmai News Network
IMPHAL, April 7
A three-day North East Business Summit 2016 began here at City Convention Centre today organised by the Union Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER) in association with the Manipur government.
Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker Th Lokeshwar Singh inaugurated the summit attended by Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and a galaxy of ambassadors and delegates from Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Combodia, Laos and Brunei.
The event is being organised under the Act East policy of the Government of India to showcase the resources economic potential, ability and scope of NE region.
The NE, comprising eight states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, shares 98 percent of its border with countries like Bangladesh, China and Bhutan.
Representatives from Indian Chamber of Commerce, DoNER Secretary Naveen Verma and Meghalaya Chief Secretary Kuljit Singh Kropha were also present at the occasion.
Tofail, the chief guest of the function, said a window of trade opportunities is provided by the geographical closeness of Bangladesh and NE states.
He said, “We can have trade with this region. If the region is developed, it will be easy for us to enter it. But everything depends on connectivity.”
Drawing attention of DoNER Secretary Verma, he stressed on the need for developing infrastructure in the North East to connect other countries.
Tofail said Bangladesh is the second largest producer of silk items in the world next to China and that the country’s investment policy is very lucrative. He also said his country is the fourth largest fish producer in the world.
“We can export fish products to NE states which are buying the product from many places of Indian states located far away from the region,” he said.
The Bangladesh minister added that his country is going to have an economic zone here which will pass through the state of Manipur.
Tofail said his country recently set up visa office at Guwahati in Assam and assured that another one will be established in Tripura. He said such moves aim to have good relations with the rest of the NE states.
Manipur Commerce & Industries Minister Govindas Konthoujam Singh, Chief Secretary Oinam Nabakishore Singh and several state officials also attended the event.
Naveen Verma gave the keynote address during the function. He informed that the tourist traffic in the region is increasing, saying that the region can have an economic zone on broad gauge.
