Kathmandu, December 20:

Trade experts today underscored a need to develop few specific agro-forestry-based products in which the country has comparative and competitive advantages that could secure the international market.

They also noted that those specific products have not only exportable values but they could also create a positive impact on poverty reduction. Nepal’s rich biodiversity and unique topographical and climatic features provide abundant opportunities to develop such specific products, they argued.

The speakers at a discussion on trade and poverty linkages organised by the Enhancing Nepal’s Trade Related Capacity (ENTReC-UNDP) at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) also suggested to concentrate on labour-intensive and high-yielding cash crops.

Dr Pradip Upadhaya giving a presentation on trade and poverty linkages based on his study emphasised on the production of labour-intensive agro-forestry farming and manufactured goods that could attain higher poverty reduction through social inclusion of disadvantaged and marginalised groups. “Government support in extension services and irrigation and fertiliser subsidies should be increased,” he added.

In order to establish sustained industry and trade linkages, a long-term comprehensive industrial plan should be formulated and strategy should be set to invest in the industries producing goods for international markets, Dr Upadhaya suggested. “Government programmes should be designed to promote small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in rural as well as urban areas so that the produces could access international markets and enhance the level of exports,” he said.

In another presentation on ‘Nepal’s regional and bilateral trade agreements: Performance and prospects,’ Uma Shankar Prasad urged the government to initiate bilateral trade agreements with some of the major trading partners. He suggested such agreements should not only limit to merchandise trade but should also look beyond in sectors like trade

in services, investment, intellectual property and labour mobility.

Prasad also pointed out the need for reviewing agreements with many countries taking into consideration of the present context of integration-oriented markets.

Commenting on the paper, Prof Dr Bhuwan Bajracharya said that Nepal needs to create conducive policy environment and then invest in infrastructure. “Pro-poor policies need to be in place first and then we can think of other issues regarding investment, extension and marketing, among others,” he added.

Purushottam Ojha, secretary at the MoICS, Jib Raj Koirala, under secretary at the MoICS and Nabin Dahal, executive director at SAWTEE also expressed their views on the occasion.