North East Traders Choose Metro Airports To Export Goods

Borjhar airport needs special packaging facility

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Many international traders and firms from the north-eastern region are avoiding the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) airport at Borjhar to export their products due to lack of special packing facility in it.

“Goods exported to different countries need special packaging due to varied climatic condition, geographical distances and other conditions. Such special packing facility is available in most of the international airports in the country. But the LGBI airport is yet to develop such facility forcing traders and firms to go to Kolkata to export their products,” an official of Customs department, Guwahati Zone, said.

The official said the volume o f export from the Northeast has gone down from Rs 1,706.09 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 1,649.90 crore in 2018-19. Imports on the other hand rose from Rs 665.49 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 1174.57 crore in the four years.

The Northeast mainly exports tea, limestone, coal, high-speed diesel, fresh fruits, besides power generation equipment. Altogether 7489.4 kg fresh fruits and vegetables were exported through LGBI airport.

Chief Commissioner of GST & Customs, Guwahati Zone S.R. Baruah said even though facilities have been created at LGBI Airport at Borjhar to facilitate the trade of import & export of all kinds of goods from NE, a huge volume of such trade is still taking place in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

“If import and export of goods is done through Guwahati, the cost of such trade goes down making goods price competitive in the international markets. Lack of awareness is another reason for traders for not opting to do export and import of their goods via LGBI airport. We are trying to create awareness among different stakeholders associated with export & import,” Baruah said

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