By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Mar. 15: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has stressed the need for facilitating exports to reduce the growing trade deficit.
Welcoming the newly elected officials of the Export Council of Nepal at the NCC office building on Monday, NCC president Rajendra Malla said that the NCC would take initiative to end the policy difficulties in export promotion.

According to Malla, problems have arisen due to non-renewal of GSP facilities provided by the developed countries to the least developed countries in the export of priority items.
Exporters had complained that the US had recently cut the GSP facility, imposing an additional burden of up to 20 per cent on customs duties.

President Malla said that he would try to hold talks with the government bodies as well as the ambassadors of the concerned countries for the GSP facility available from the developed countries.
According to him, exports can be doubled if arrangements are made for direct payment through online while exporting goods.

Malla said that small entrepreneurs would be benefited and production cost would be reduced if agriculture goods, handicraft, herbs, tea, coffee and other products produced all over the country could be collected in one place and exported through an integrated export centre or export promotion house.

He said that the NCC would take initiative for holding high level business meetings with the private sector of foreign countries for the promotion of the country's export.
Stating that the Chamber is holding discussions with the ambassadors of different countries for trade facilitation, he said that initiatives are being taken for trade facilitation with the private sector abroad.

Malla said that the Chamber is ready to work hand in hand with various export-related organisations to end the policy difficulties in exports.
During the programme, newly elected chairman of the Export Council of Nepal, Resham Bahadur Pokhrel complained that the businessmen were suffering unnecessarily due to difficult customs procedures.

Though the country has put 39 items on the export priority list, exports have not increased, said Pokhrel.