Chittagong: The third Bangladesh-Burma Joint Trade Commission (JTC) meeting will be held on April 7-8 in Nay Pyi Taw, aiming to boost bilateral trade relations between both countries, according to sources.

Commerce Secretary Feroz Ahmed will head an 11-member delegation at the meeting to discuss different issues such as--- establishment of direct shipping link, easing visa regulations for Bangladeshi businessmen, establishing direct banking arrangement for simplifying the payment procedure--- between the two countries, officials said on March 31.

During the JTC meeting, Bangladesh is likely to seek access of the country's ceramic and pharmaceuticals products, to the Burmese market besides resolving banking problems for strengthening bilateral trade relations, between the two countries.

Besides, a seminar will also be held in Rangoon on April 9, after conclusion of the JTC meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, to create awareness about Bangladeshi products in Burma, a Commerce Ministry official said.

Bangladesh is trying to improve bilateral trade relations through establishment of a direct banking arrangement between the two countries, the commerce ministry official added.

A four-member technical team has already visited Burma in February 2009, to work out the modalities of banking transactions and ways to make the proposed “border market” operational to boost bilateral trade, said a trader from Teknaf.

Currently, payments for foreign trade are settled between the two countries through a third country. Bangladesh's importers now settle their payments for bulk exports, through bank drafts issued by foreign banks in a third country. An importer is entitled to USD 10,000-20,000 bank draft against import for any single shipment, under the existing border trade arrangement. ##