Q.Suggest one measure to get the multiplier effects of the border trade under the Act East Policy in Manipur.

Upgrading Manipur's border trade infrastructure and connectivity to Myanmar/ASEAN would help the state capture the full multiplier benefits of the Act East Policy.

Under the Act East Policy, Manipur occupies a strategic gateway position to Myanmar and South-East Asia (via Moreh). To realise the full multiplier effects of border trade -- i.e. the additional rounds of income, employment and business activity that trade generates throughout the local economy -- the state needs to develop and modernise border-trade infrastructure: expanding the Integrated Check Post/Land Customs Station facilities at Moreh, improving road connectivity (such as the Imphal-Moreh highway) and building adequate warehousing, banking and logistics facilities, so that a larger volume of trade can actually be processed and its benefits (employment, local supply chains, …

Manipur's economy has a narrow industrial and private-sector base, so the number of educated young people entering the job market every year far exceeds the limited formal job opportunities (mostly government jobs) available to absorb them.

Key reasons for high educated unemployment in Manipur include:

• Weak industrial base: Manipur has very limited large-scale industry or manufacturing activity (partly due to connectivity/infrastructure constraints, law-and-order disruptions, and its landlocked, hilly geography), so the formal private sector creates very few jobs.
• Over-dependence on government jobs: With few private-sector alternatives, educated youth overwhelmingly seek government employment, but government job vacancies are far fewer than the number of qualified applicants each year. …