A three-day trade and tourism exposition of Saarc countries opened in the city yesterday with a call to boost regional trade and introduce on-arrival visa for its citizens.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith inaugurated the 11th Saarc Trade Fair and Tourism Mart 2012 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
Entrepreneurs from Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries are showcasing their products and services in the categories of garments, textiles, leather, jute, handicrafts, herbals, foods, nursery, spices, jewellery, toys, agricultural machines, tour operators, cosmetics, and books.
About 350 stalls have been set up at the annual event, with the host country displaying their products at around 180 booths.
Speaking as the chief guest at the opening ceremony, Muhith said although the Saarc had been established 27 years ago, its member states are still struggling to make it effective.
The trade volume among the eight Saarc nations is below five per cent of their total overseas trade, though the region is home to one-fifth of the world's total population, he noted.
The minister cited the examples of the European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), where the volume of intra-regional trade is much higher.
"Trade in Saarc countries can rise. Regional cooperation is an important instrument for growth in trade. The ASEAN has benefited from the regional cooperation," pointed out Muhith.
He also called for introducing on-arrival visa for the citizens of Saarc states to help them travel more freely.
The Saarc countries also lag behind in intra-regional tourism. They accounted for only 23.8 per cent of the tourist arrivals in the region in 2008, whereas the intra-regional tourism made up 66 percent in Africa, 71 per cent in America, 86 per cent in Europe and 59.5 per cent in the Middle East, according to World Tourism Organisation, a United Nations agency.
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