Partner in progress

Thai delegation’s visit to NE paves way for a meaningful exchange of knowledge and resources for bilateral business and investment.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has expressed confidence that the Thai delegation’s visit to the State would pave the way for a meaningful and interactive exchange of knowledge and resources for bilateral business and investment possibilities in the North-Eastern region. He was speaking at the Business Meet at SIPARD, which is being attended by the Thai business delegation led by Thai Commerce Minister K. K. Jirapaet, DoNER Minister Manishankar Aiyer, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industries, Jairam Ramesh and NEC adviser P. P. Srivastava. The meet is also being attended by senior officials from the Union Commerce, business related departments in New Delhi and North-East.

“We are impressed with the remarkable progress in economic development achieved by Thailand in the last few decades, which has inspired others. These factors can promote development of the North- Eastern region jointly with Thailand and our neighbouring countries as partners in progress”, said the Chief Minister. On domestic field, he pointed out that Tripura had also made significant progress in developing the industrial infrastructure over the past few years to attract investment required for industrialization.

The Chief Minister said apart from basic infrastructure, the State made good progress in developing the industrial infrastructure.

“Quality industrial infrastructure development projects have been initiated to support industrial investors. Bodhjongnagar industrial growth centre, a flagship industrial location with all modern infrastructure facilities has already been completed”, he said.

The process for setting up an export promotion park, food Park and rubber park has also been taken up he said adding that the infrastructure at Land Customs Stations for trade with Bangladesh has been enhanced.

“The broad objective of the government is to develop socio-economic condition of the people and stepping up the growth of the economy”, he said.

“The government will make every effort to promote such investment and to create a climate conducive for investors and entrepreneurs to use productive capacities and resources available here”, he said.

Recalling the NE region’s similarities with Thailand, Chief Minister also said due to geographical location, Thai culture has always interacted and shared deep influences with the Indian as well as the neighbouring cultures of South East Asia.

A 35-member Thai business delegation arrived Agartala to explore the possibilities of exports from North-Eastern region.

“The broad objective of the government is to develop the socio-economic condition of the people and stepping up the growth of the economy,” he said.

“The government will make every effort to promote such investment and to create a climate conducive for investors and entrepreneurs to use productive capacities and resources available here,” he said.

Thai-NE trade can boost ties, says Jirapaet

On the other hand, stressing that the North-East India and Thailand could give a boost to   thier historical ties by way of  mutual trade and commerce, Krik Krai Jirapaet, the Minister of Commerce, Thailand, said that the tourism, the handloom and handicrafts, infrastructure, oil and gas, health, agro-based and the food-based industries, etc., were  the areas that held promise for bilateral cooperation.

“The North-Eastern states and Thailand have enjoyed close historical ties, and the time now has come to build further on that. We can be partners in development, as there is great scope for promotiing mutual trade and commerce between the two regions,” Jirapaet said at a press conference.

Jirapaet happens to be the first minister from a foreign country who has visited the North-east with a business promotion mission. He is leading a contingent of representatives from the biggest trade and investment promotion agencies — both private and government — of Thailand.

The Minister for the Department of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Mani Shankar Aiyar, while terming Jirapaet’s visit as a historic occasion, said that Thailand had the expertise and experience to invest in different sectors, especially infrastructure, in the North-east.

“Thailand has emerged as a prosporous nation in the past 25 years through private sector collaboration with other countries. The North-east can well emulate the example of Thailand,” he said.

Pointing out that the 11th Plan envisages an investment of Rs 50,000 crore on roads in the North-east, Aiyar said that the question now was whether the region had the required absorptive capacity. “The construction companies of Thailand can invest in this sector, as Thailand has excess construction capacity,” he said.

The North East region has the potential to generate 60,000 MW of hydro-power althow at present the power generation in the region is less than 2000 MW, said the Minister in charge of the Department for Development of North east Region (DONER), Mani Shankar Aiyar. Speaking at a meeting with the Thailand delegation, the Minister said that Thailand could invest in power sector in the North East. He said the Government of India is investing Rs 50,000 crore for the development of road communication in the North East in the next five years and Thailand could provide equipment and expertise to ensure timely completion of the projects. He said that foreign direct investment in the sectors like road communication, water transport and railways are totally tax free. He said that efforts should be made to give a boost to inland water transport, but night navigation facilities are not available in the region, while, most of the jetties are in bad shape. He pointed out that Thailand could lend its expertise to India in improvement of the inland waterways system. He also announced that a team would be taken to Thailand from this region shortly.

The Union Minister of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh, addressing the meeting, said that there is enormous scope for developing trade ties between the North East region of India and Thailand. He said that steps should also be taken to improve trade ties with Myanmar and Bangladesh through the North East region. The North East must get the full benefits of the look east policy of the Government of India.

Ramesh announced that for the first time, an international tea festival would be held in Guwahati in November. He revealed that a major scheme for re-plantation in the gardens would start from Monday, which would improve production and quality.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that Thailand could assist the North East in the health sector in a big way. He referred to the close age old ties between North East and Thailand and said that Thailand could invest in the sectors like food processing, oil and natural gas, etc.

Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Industries.

Aiyar for more NE-Thailand exchanges

 There should be more exchanges between the India’s northeast and Thailand to promote trade and commerce, Union Minister for Development of Northeastern Region Mani Shankar Aiyar said today. Mooting the idea of observing 2008 as the Northeast-Thailand year, Aiyar said increased interaction between the region and Southeast Asian nations would end the sense of alienation and neglect prevalent in the North-Eastern states in consonance with the Centre’s ‘Look East’ policy.

He told a high-power Thai delegation to the North-Eastern Council, led by that country’s Commerce Minister Krirk Krai Jirapaet, that India and Thailand enjoyed a centuries-old relationship which could be further strengthened by mutual cooperation.

However, Aiyar felt that for the relations to flourish, Jirapaet needed to visit the region again for a longer stay to cover more states. Similarly, visiting Indian business delegations would need at least six weeks to study conditions in that country.

Aiyar described the Thailand minister’s visit to the region as significant because it was the first time that a minister of that country had visited the North-East.

Speaking to reporters later, Aiyar said the North-East was peaceful barring a few pockets in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur and this is conducive to the growth of trade and commerce.

Jirapaet said Thailand ranked 18th in world tourism and pointing out that development of tourism required good connectivity, catering, hotel management and hospitality services.

Meghalaya Chief Minister D. D. Lapang said his state was ideal for private investment as there were no law and order problems.

The Thai delegation headed by Krik Krai Jirapaet alongwith DONER Minister Mani Sankar Aiyer also visited Sualkuchi, the nerve centre of Assam Silk fabrics. They also had interactions with the local weavers.

The team that landed at 11.15 a.m. was rushed to the Kushum Silk Factory. They visited the handloom factory of Sailen Kalita, and finally were taken to the Sima Weaving Factory and the Rionky Weaving factory to have a first hand experience of the process of silk production. The team was very much impressed with the handwoven and natural dyes. The Thai Minister interacted with Ghanashyam Baishya, Ganesh Das and Kunja Das, all weavers.

Later, the delegation also visited the Assam Samabai Resham Pratisthan a primary co-operation society of the village and saw their products. The delegation was felicitated by Mahendra Kalita, secretary of the Society. The Kamrup District Administration also felicitated the members of the delegation offering muga shirtings and muga sarees. Ramesh Chandra Jain, DC, Kamrup welcomed the guests for their august visit to famous Sualkuchi.

Replying to a question, Jirapaet said there is some similarity between the people of the North-East and Thailand in term of dress materials. He will examine the possibilities of exporting and trade between the two India and Thailand, he said.Mani Sankar Aiyer, while replying to a question not declaring Sualkuchi as an industrial zone said that he is not aware of the matter. He said, ‘You have pointed it out and I will look into it.”Thai business delegation includes Somjan Pleng Kham, Deputy Director General of Export, Thailand, Jom Jiapact, son of the Commerce Minister, Thailand. They were accompanied by Shushma Sing, Secretary to the Minister of DONER, Harish Sonowal, Commission, Industry, Govt. of Assam, Prafulla Bharali Deputy Director, Handloom and Textiles, NN Rana Patgiri, MD, ARTFED.

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