Nepal to propose private sector's platform in LLDCs forum

Nepal is going to propose a common platform for private sector under the UN Landlocked Developing Countries forum during 'Comprehensive 10 year Review Conference on the Implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action, Brainstorming meeting on the Priorities of a New Development Agenda for the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)' to be held in New York on March 20-21.
Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) president Suraj Vaidya, who is scheduled to address the second session 'LLDCs and International Trade and Trade Facilitation' on the first day, is going to propose the private sector platform to raise united voice of the LLDCs; private sector.
He is also going to highlight potentials and challenges to development in Nepal in his paper during the meeting that will chart out the course of action on priority of Landlocked Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs). The paper will also focus on Nepal's access to the international market and customs problems.
On the occasion, regional development manager for the Asia Pacific Region Capacity Building Directorate of the World Customs Organisation Takashi Nakao is also scheduled to address.
Nepal is currently the chair of the Landlocked Developing Countries that rely on transoceanic trade and usually suffer a cost of trade that is double of their maritime neighbours.
The conference — that will be chaired by Gyan Chandra Acharya as he is the Secretary General of the second UN Conference on LLDCs and Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS — will hold discussions on LLDCs and International Trade and Trade Facilitation; Panel on Transit transport cooperation at bilateral, regional and global Levels, Emerging Challenges for LLDCs: Climate Change; Desertification, land degradation, economic and financial shocks, Food Security; Priorities to structurally transform LLDCs economies and harnessing emerging opportunities, enhance trade, diversify, development of productive capacities and services sector; International Support measures and special attention to LLDCs; and LLDCS and the Post-2015 development agenda and sustainable development goals.
The LLDCs experience economic growth of six per cent less of their non-landlocked countries, holding other variables constant.
The UN Office of the High Representative Landlocked Developing Countries mainly holds the view that high transport costs due to distance and terrain result in the erosion of competitive edge for exports from landlocked countries.
Likewise, one other commonly cited factor is the administrative burdens associated with border crossings as there is a heavy load of bureaucratic procedures, paperwork, custom charges, and most importantly, traffic delay due to border wait times, which affect delivery contracts.
According to a study, it has been economically modeled that if the economic size of a transit country is increased by just one per cent, a subsequent increase of at least two per cent is experienced by the landlocked country, which shows that there is hope for LLDCs, if the conditions of their transit neighbours are addressed.