Steps must to further Nepal-Russia trade ties

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept 11: Trade of Nepal with Russia and other CIS nations has vast potentials. Unfortunately, its vast potential is grossly underutilised. Steps must be taken to revitalise Nepal-Russia trade ties.

The view was expressed during an interaction organized in Moscow between the delegation of National Trading Limited, led by joint secretary of Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply Chandi Prasad Shrestha currently on an officials visit to Russia and Belarus, and the trade officials of the Russian Federation.

Officials of both the countries agreed upon that the Nepalese commodities should be exhibited in the trade fairs organized in Russia, it is stated in a press release issued by Russia-Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Joint secretary Shrestha informed on the occasion that additional activities are to be carried out in future to further enhance bilateral trade.

The official delegation, which also included Director General of Customs Department Bansbhi Dhar Ghimire, NTL general manager Madhav Jung Rana and deputy director Rishav Dev Sharma, visited the Russian factories manufacturing cars and TV sets.

Likewise, director general of Customs Department Ghimire held talks with Mikhail G. Vanin, president of State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation on issues of cooperation in field of customs services.

Meanwhile, a 12-member trade delegation of Nepal-Russia Chamber of Commerce and Industry headed by its president Lok Manya Golchha left Kathmandu yesterday for a week long visit to the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus.

The trade delegation will hold talks with the businessmen and trade officials from Russia and Belarus.

A reception is to be organized in Moscow in honour of the Nepalese trade delegation.

Nepal Chamber of Commerce vice president Surendra Bir Malakar was at the Tribhuvan International Airport to see off the trade delegation to Russia.

Herbs worth Rs 35,611,493 sold last year

Kathmandu, Sept. 11 (RSS): A greater sense of urgency should be shown towards conservation and commercial development of the valuable medicinal herbs which are now on the verge of extinction in the country.

This suggestion came at a press held here Sunday to brief on various works being undertaken by the herbal production and processing company.

Commercial production of medicinal herbs contributes around Rs 13 million annually to the national exchequer and its proper exploitation can greatly contribute to poverty alleviation and increasing employment, it is felt in the circles concerned.

The state-owned herbal production and processing company limited has undertaken various programmes for the commercial exploitation of the numerous aromatic and medicinal herbs in the country since its inception.

In this connection the company has started the commercial cultivation of medicinal herbs like pamarosa, citronela, lemon grass, mentha, tajetsi, metrekeria, indrayani and french basil, general manager of the company Dhurba Raj Bhattarai disclosed at a press meeting organised here Sunday.

Bhattarai said the company has been cultivating the locally available valuable medicinal plants, collecting and processing them on a sustainable basis with full participation of the local people. The company has also been running employment generation and income-generation activities, he added.

The company has started a special herbs development programme in various eight districts of the country with the help of the Rural Area Development Committee under the Ministry of Local Development Ministry.

According to a press release distributed to the press on the occasion, the herbal products of the company are exported to France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Australia, Spain, India, Pakistan and the USA.

It is learnt that the company sold its processed herbal products worth Rs 35,611,493 in fiscal year 1999/2000. Of the total sales in the last fiscal year, products worth Rs 13,538,000 was sold in the domestic market, Rs 12,292,660 worth of processed products were exported to India alone while products worth Rs 9,680,833 to overseas countries.