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China to build dry port near Kathmandu to strengthen trade ties

Zee News

In a bid to strengthen trade ties with Nepal, China has pledged to construct a dry port in Tatopani, a major check point in the east of Kathmandu that links the capital city with Tibet.

A Chinese team is currently in Nepal to carry out a feasibility study for constructing the dry port being established near the Tibetan border, officials said.

China is to construct the dry port at Larcha near Tatopani customs office and around 27.5 million sq ft of land is being allocated for the purpose, says Sharad Rana, Executive Director of Nepal Inter-modal Transport Development Committee.

As Tatopani is the busiest check point of Nepal in trade links with China, it has become necessary to construct the dry port in the area to manage things, he said.

The dry port costing Rs 1 billion or USD 12.5 million will be built with the assistance from China, Bodhraj Niraula, Director General of Customs Department was quoted as saying by the Kantipur daily.

The port will have parking capacity to accommodate 200 trucks and a large go-down to place goods after customs clearance among other facilities. This will also be helpful for promoting Nepal’s business with Tibet, officials said.

Nepal already has a dry port in Birgunj, a southern Nepal town, which was built with the assistance from India. Meanwhile, Nepalese Finance Minister and senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai has called Chinese investors to invest in Nepal for the economic transformation of the Himalayan republic.

Addressing a round table meeting with Chinese investors, Bhattarai said Nepal was in the process of economic transformation after a radical political change.

Chinese ambassador to Nepal Qiu Guohong said that China has a policy to encourage investment to Nepal. He also claimed that Chinese investment has been increasing in Nepal in recent period.

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