The 16-kilometer long road was completed in 2.5 years at the total cost of Rs. 1.59 billion with grant assistance of the Government of People´s Republic of China.[break]
The gravel one-lane road with a width of five meters was handed over to Nepal by Tibet Hongzi Constructions Company at a function held at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works on Wednesday.
In the presence of Secretary at the Ministry, Tulasi Prasad Sitoula and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Yang Haulan, Project Coordinator of the Company, Zhou Guanyu, handed over a certificate of completion of the road to Director General of Department of Roads, Dinkar Sharma.
On the occasion, Secretary Sitoula expressed gratitude for the continuous support being received from the Chinese government to development construction works in Nepal and urged the Chinese Ambassador to help mobilize necessary support for blacktopping the road.
Director General Sharma said the road shall stand as a symbol of friendship between Nepal and China.
Road Construction Project Coordinator Zhou expressed gratitude to the locals, the local administration and the government for their support during the construction of the road.
Meanwhile, Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce, Lalmani Joshi said geographically better accessible than the Barhabise-Tatopani road of Sindhulpalchowk this new road must be utilized to the maximum to bringing down the trade deficit with China.
During a meeting between the Chinese delegation and Secretary Joshi last Monday, the Chinese side showed interest in upgrading Nepal-China transit points and constructing other necessary physical infrastructures to facilitate trade with Nepal. The seven-member delegation was headed by Sonam Dorjee, Deputy Director of the Department of Commerce, Tibet.
Commitment from the Chinese side to help construct a dry port near Kerung, setting up a quarantine check post with a lab and constructing roadways was enough to say that development of physical infrastructures in Nepal was the top priority of China, Secretary Joshi said.
The operation of the route is expected to be supportive in exporting Nepali products specially agro products, foodstuffs, carpets, and construction materials to China via Kerung.
Chilime, Upper Trishuli, Sanjen, Upper Sanjenan Rasuwagadhi Hydro Power Projects are covered by the route. Chilime Hydro Power Project´s General Manager Kulman Ghising stressed on the need of blacktopping the road as quickly as possible.
Director General of the Department of Roads, Sharma said Nepali side is also capable for blacktopping the road and the Chinese side should not be requested for this.
Similarly, Chairman of Nepal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rajesh Kaji Shrestha underlined the need of taking maxim benefit from the facility (customs discount) offered by China on the import of 4721 items.
Likewise, first Vice President of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Pashupati Murarka said easy banking system, development of physical infrastructures, quality in exportable products was a must to expand trade with China. He was hopeful that the government would leave no stone unturned to immediately develop Kerung into a transit point to China.
We all are ready to cooperate with the government to that end, he said.
Chairman of Nepal Trans Himalaya Trade Association Neel Kantha Chaulagain said export of Nepali products to China has not taken place as per the expectation in the absence of necessary physical infrastructure. For this discussions at the diplomatic level with the Chinese government should be initiated at the earliest, he said.
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