Govt to propose more LCSs, Border Haats to tap export potential
Shillong, Oct 29: The state government has projected around 20,000 employment opportunities – direct and indirect – from the expansion project of Shillong Airport at Umroi.
Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Thursday urged stakeholders to look beyond selling local products and focus on the opportunities that improved air connectivity could bring to the state.
Dhar said the airport expansion would do more than improve air connectivity. It could boost tourism, create business opportunities and help local products reach international markets.
“Don’t talk about selling your products, please talk about the coming of tourism (revenue) directly. And minimum 20,000 get employment directly and indirectly,” Dhar told reporters on the sidelines of a workshop on MSMEs.
Dhar, however, acknowledged that airport expansion would be a challenging undertaking and requires considerable effort.
Call to leverage FTAs
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Minister has stressed the need to leverage Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to help local entrepreneurs, artisans and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access new markets and expand their businesses.
Addressing the workshop focused on MSMEs, Dhar said outreach programmes could help local businesses understand trade opportunities, seek guidance from government officials and identify markets for their products.
“Sometimes we have our products, but we do not know where to sell them or where to go. These workshops provide dialogue, advice and suggestions for our local entrepreneurs,” Dhar said.
He also highlighted the need to strengthen cross-border trade infrastructure, particularly by establishing more Land Custom Stations at Dawki, Borsora and Baghmara.
Dhar said improved connectivity and trade facilities could help Meghalaya businesses access markets in Bangladesh and generate employment.
He added that the state would follow up with the Centre on pending proposals to expand trade infrastructure.
According to Dhar, greater trade activity could boost government revenue and create direct and indirect employment.
He also emphasised coordination between the state and central governments to help businesses understand trade policies and turn available opportunities into actual growth.
Truck volume can rise 10 times
The Deputy Chief Minister also called for setting up of more Land Custom Stations (LCSs) and Border Haats along the Indo-Bangla border in Meghalaya sector to scale up exports and create jobs.
He said improved infrastructure along the border can lead to ten-fold rise in movement of trucks in cross-border trade.
On the status of LCS proposals, Dhar said, “Some of them have been sanctioned but work has not started yet.”
He also said the proposals for new LCS at Umkiang and Pyrdiwah are at different stages of progress.
Underscoring the need for better coordination with Bangladesh to boost cross-border projects, he said, “Sometimes we are ready, they (Bangladesh) are not ready. For example, for Umkiang we selected the site but Bangladesh is not ready. Therefore we have to meet again.”
Crediting central MSME schemes and improved border infrastructure for helping local producers, Dhar said, “We have lots of products to export to Bangladesh but sometimes we don’t have a platform to export. Now with support from the Government of India and Government of Meghalaya in terms of Border Haat and roads, trade has improved, but we need more.”
He said the government will send more proposals for LCSs and Border Haats to tap the export potential of limestone, coal and other local products.
“It will create more employment opportunities besides MSMEs through import-export. Instead of 1,000 trucks per day, increase to 10,000 trucks per day and that will increase everything from government revenue to employment directly and indirectly,” Dhar said.
