Himal Press 
POKHARA: Business leaders in Pokhara have called upon the government to take needful initiatives for starting scheduled flights at Pokhara International Airport and to take necessary steps to establish Korala, situated along the Nepal-China border in Mustang, as an international border crossing.
They also urged the government to raise these matters during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s upcoming visit to China. Dahal is scheduled to depart for China on September 21.
Speaking at a discussion organized at the initiative of former President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Ananda Raj Mulmi, in Pokhara on Monday, they urged the government to request the Chinese government for conversation of the loan used to construct Pokhara Airport into grants. Additionally, they appealed to the government to request China to initiate flight services between Pokhara and cities like Kunming, Chengdu, and Hong Kong.
They also said the government should prioritize the Korala border for trade with China, as it has the capacity to accommodate 1,000 containers, in contrast to a few hundred containers at the Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi borders. “As the construction of the Kagbeni-Dolpa road is underway, even the Dolpa district can benefit from the Korala border,” they added.
Furthermore, the business leaders urged Prime Minister Dahal to request China to open its consulate in Pokhara.
Representatives of various trade, industry, and tourism organizations in Pokhara participated in the discussion.
