China ready to extend grant for maintenance, says envoy

TATOPANI, DEC 22 -

Chinese ambassador to Nepal Yang Houlan on Friday said China was ready to extend grant to improve the condition of the Tatopani -Barhabishe section of the Araniko Highway provided the Nepal government makes a formal request for the same.

The Chinese envoy told Lal Mani Joshi, secretary at the Commerce and Supply Ministry, that the Chinese government would take such a proposal positively. The 115-km Araniko highway was built under the financial assistance of the Chinese government.

Yang, who arrived here to lay foundation stone for the construction of a dry port at Larcha, was not impressed by the poor condition of the road section. The port is also being developed with Chinese assistance. Locals and traders have long been demanding that the road be improved. Despite being one of the key trade routes of the country, there has been little effort to improve the road condition.  During rainy season, transportation is obstructed for several days in Daklang, Chaku, Sirise, Dashkilo and Kodarai sections of the highway.

Following the assurance from the Chinese envoy, the Department of Customs (DoC) on Friday wrote to the finance secretary to make a formal request to the northern neighbour to secure its assistance for the improvement of the 24-km road section. Maintenance of the Tatopani -Larcha section of the road is part of the dry port project.

DoC Director Shyam Dahal said the department urged the ministry to secure Chinese aid for the road on four grounds — trade facilitation, to reduce transaction costs, improve internal tourism in Tatopani area and the highway being an attractive route to Manasarowar.

Also on Friday, envoy Yang on Friday inaugurated the Sindhupalchowk branch of the Nepal-China Chambers of Commerce and Industry at Tatopani . On the occasion, he said formation of such a body would help promote trade relations between the two countries.

Source: The Kathmandu Post