Sikkim traders demand change in tradable items list

Gangtok, Aug 17 (UNI) Sikkim Chamber of Commerce (SCC) today demanded the Centre should amend the list of tradable items, identified for border trade with China through Nathu La.

In a letter to Union minister for Commerce and Trade, SCC president S K Sarda said the items listed for trade were irrelevant in the present time and needed to be amended.

Mr Sarda also demanded the Union government to open an extention counter of the Central Food Laboratory and CITES office at Sherathang trade mart to streamline the import of food items and animal products.

The SCC also urged the Centre to lift the current trading limit of Rs 25,000 per trader per day to make the trade vibrant.

Restriction on availability of US dollars, (now 500 dollars per trader) should be done away with and dollars should be made available as per the requirement of trade was another demand of the trade body.

Mr Sarda demanded the Union government to discuss with its Chinese counterpart to allow the traders to travel up to Lhasa on the basis of their travel passes to help them assess the market.

The Indian traders should also be allowed to stay for at least two days at Renquinagang, the Chinese trade mart, instead of returning on the same day as the practise now, he said.

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