BIRATNAGAR: Industrialists and traders of Biratnagar have expressed confidence that the cargo rail service from Kolkata, India to the integrated check post (ICP) in Biratnagar would help reduce the cost and time of transporting goods imported from third world countries.
They say that bringing raw materials and other goods imported for Nepali industries from India and third world countries by rail will save 35 to 40 per cent in transportation costs compared to road transport.
President of the Morang Trade Association, Anupam Rathi, said the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) installed in all containers will ensure safety of goods while goods and trains can be monitored from mobile phones. The cargo train after traveling 350 kilometers from Kolkata arrived at the port in Biratnagar last Sunday.
Rathi also expressed confidence that Nepali industrialists and businesspersons will receive multifaceted benefits as delays and other fees at the port will decrease after the cargo train service comes into operation.
The continuation of the service in the coming days will make it cheaper and faster to export goods produced in Nepal to India and third countries. Furthermore, the competitiveness of Nepali industry in the international market will also be strengthened after the opening of an office in Biratnagar for cargo trains and the provision of containers.
Industrialists and businesspersons say that the latest efforts have made the long-standing dream of industrialists and businesspersons of the Morang-Sunsari Industrial Corridor a reality.
The Kolkata-Biratnagar direct cargo train service has come into operation after the governments of both countries resolved the related policy and legal complications.
Vice President of the Association Anil Kumar Sah and General Secretary Sanjay Kumar Shrestha said that the arrival of the cargo train to Biratnagar would be beneficial for industrialists and businesspersons who want to invest in industry and trade in the future.
Former President of the Association Naveen Rijal thanked the Government of Nepal for recognizing the voices and efforts of industrialists and businesspersons in the region. (RSS)
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