Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio launched the ‘Export Facilitation Cell’ of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade assisted by North Eastern Council (NEC) in the presence of Vice Chancellor IIFT, Dr Manoj Pant at the Capital Convention Centre in Kohima on Wednesday.
Neiphiu Rio, while speaking at the event, said that the Indian Institution of Foreign Trade will be a new beginning in the import and the export sector not only for “our state but also for the entire North-eastern states”. He also said that the main objective of setting up the export facilitation cell in Nagaland was to encourage and assist the existing and upcoming potential entrepreneur and setting up an organised system to do business.
Rio then said, “Still we are a consumer society and not a producing society and therefore the government needs to facilitate and youth and entrepreneurs have to come up with dedication and choose certain disciplines and be an expert in it:. He then urged the entrepreneur to take advantage of the facilities and promote their activities through this cell".
Rio also remarked that “our people need to stop talking only about politics and start focusing on our economy”, adding that life is only about economy. He also said that even “if we have good natural resources unless we exploit our resources it will remain dominant”. Rio also said that due to the pandemic the realization to be self-sufficient has also cropped up even for a small state like Nagaland and without self-sufficient there is no import or export.
Rio further said that realizing the need the state government along with the department had formulated the Naga model of agriculture and allied sector in a compact area on how to develop and keep the farmers and the people active in producing.
The Chief Minister then encouraged the youth to focus more and take responsibilities and not take the easy way out. He added that many youth have certificates but due to lack of expertise in certain disciplines many cannot find jobs in the market, “as one needs to be experts or qualified in certain disciplines”.
Rio then said that “our hope lies in our youth”, while adding, “Even though our youths are talented they need to focus and be dedicated”. He also said that in order to compete in national and international levels one cannot do anything half-heartedly and one must also see what resources are readily available in “our state and enterprise on that”. He also urged the departments, state agencies and entrepreneurs to work together as team Nagaland and see that such good initiatives are implemented.
