Kathmandu, March 26:

Despite the fact that there is no clause for extension in the Indo-Nepal transit treaty, it was extended for three months on January 6.

And it is due to expire on April 6 again, complained the experts and business sector people. They lamented the government for not being effective and efficient in dealing with the transit and trade issues with India.

Mohan Dev Pant, former commerce secretary, speaking at an interaction organised by New Media Group Nepal, in the capital today said, “the treaty does not have any provision of extension. It is either automatically renewed or terminated, if one of the two countries show any obligations, however, it as such cannot be elongated.”

“The uncertainty of treaty has created hesitant business environment and is giving undue chances of negotiations to India. If India wants to decrease the transit points, it should not be a big issue as we are using only nine of the 15 transit points,” he said adding that it could instead help us build our distribution network.

Pant also suggested the government to think of developing new transit points through China.

Surendra Bir Malakar, president, Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) said that despite the easy access of Indian products to Nepal it has not been same for the Nepali roducts. “Transit treaty has become a key for India to make Nepal act as per its wish,” he said.

“We are always working on approximations. We forward hypothesis without any foundation to support it and the present development is the outcome of it,” said Chiranjivi Nidhi Tiwari, former vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).

Tiwari also said that rather than asking for renewal of treaty, we need to raise the issue in the international level. “If the treaty is to be renewed, we need to work for removing clauses that have been bottlenecks for trading,” he said.

Ishwor Pokharel, former minister and a senior CPN-UML leader, said that the situation has aroused due to lack of political leadership.

“The government even did not dare inform what has been going on after India ‘suddenly’ raised some of the issues in the December meeting. He accused the government for inviting the present uncertainty.