Analysts urge South Asian leaders to open up to transit
Analysts yesterday urged South Asian leaders to include all modes of transport in transit and transshipment to ensure greater connectivity in the Saarc trade bloc.
They also suggested the leaders and policymakers allow transit and transshipment to all Saarc countries so a greater transport network is built for easier and cheaper transportation of goods and people across the region.
The suggestions came at a session of the fourth South Asia Economic Summit on "Transport Connectivity in South Asia and Beyond: Current Status and the Next Steps” at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in Dhaka.
The South Asian leaders plan to introduce transit and transshipment mainly bilaterally and for road routes and waterways. As a result, some states could not join hands for greater connectivity as well as for other modes of transport also, they said.
The air and railway routes should also be developed by the Saarc members, experts argued saying that with many Saarc countries there are no direct flights from one country to another.
“Railways and inland water transport should be promoted in the subcontinent keeping in view their relatively benign impact on environment and the growing scarcity of fossil fuels,” said KL Thapar, chairman of Asian Institute of Transport Development, India.
Kanak Mani Dixit, chief editor of Himal (South Asian), Nepal, said most of the connectivity in the region is government-to-government, not people-to-people.
He said the India-Nepal border is the only real open border among the South Asian countries. “We should introduce an easy visa system for increasing people-to-people connectivity.”
Infrastructure should be developed and energy and power connectivity should also be developed, he said. Sri Lanka should also be included in all forms of connectivity with other countries, Dixit added.
Political willingness is a must for greater connectivity in the South Asian region, said Salman Zaheer, World Bank's programme director of regional integration for South Asia.
In the backdrop of global economic downturn, he said, there is need to sustain growth and 2-4 percent gross domestic product (GDP) boost through expanding regional trade to East Asia regions.
Amita Batra, an associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, suggested greater regional cooperation for creating sub-regional market to tackle the fallouts from any financial crisis.
“We also need financial connectivity, meaning increasing trade and commerce among the South Asian nations,” she said.
Anushka Wijesinha, research officer in the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, said it is evident that there are only three commercially attractive routes in the region: Colombo-Chennai, Delhi-Kathmandu and Dhaka-Kolkata.
Mumbai-Kathmandu and Mumbai-Dhaka are well-serviced routes with double daily flights, while only three routes have more than 10 flights a week, between Dhaka and Karachi, Kathmandu and Delhi.
Wijesinha said it is clear that India is the most connected country in the region while Pakistan is the least.
Sri Lanka has no direct flights with Nepal and to reach it, passengers must travel via either Bangkok or Singapore or the Middle East, he added.
Opposing the transit, Zafarullah Chowdhury, founder of Gono Shasthya Kendra, said India is not asking for transit, but for corridor which will only fortify their security.
He suggested the government go for more investment in human resources development rather counting income from the transit.
He said Myanmar and China should be connected with the Asian connectivity.
Annisul Huq, president of Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ruled out the possibility of arms transportation through Bangladesh because of transit or transshipment.
Comments