KATHMANDU, Dec 5: Nepal-India Inter-governmental Committee (IGC) meeting - commerce secretary level meeting - is beginning from Monday in New Delhi. The two sides are expected to take up a dozen proposals mostly long-pending issues that are still not resolved despite repeated commitments from both the countries.
According to Nepali officials attending the two-day meeting, Duty Refund Procedure (DRP) - a payback of local excise duty levied on exported goods - on imports against Indian Currency (IC) as enjoyed by importers paying in US dollars, arrangement of land for Manipal College in Pokhara, waiver of 5 percent Agriculture Reform Fee (ARF) on Indian farm products, and widening the margin of preference - a difference in customs duty for Indian products and the same products imported from overseas countries - are among the issues that the southern neighbor is going to propose at the talks.
Similarly, Nepal will propose early review of Railway Service Agreement, which should have completed in 2009, early operationalization of the Rohanpur-Sighabad route linking Bangladesh with Nepal, opening of Visakhapatnum port for the shipment of goods to Nepal, and waiver of additional duty for over 162 Nepali products.
Nepal is also seeking recognition for the Nepali labs for standard accreditation for Nepali exportable products bound for India, seek Indian assistance to construct 42-km long Raxaul-Amlekhgunj pipeline to facilitate petroleum transport.
Source : myrepublica.com