by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, APRIL 10
“People-to-people contacts through a relaxed visa policy are very important. India and Pakistan need to finalise a new visa agreement soon to boost business ties between the two countries through frequent exchange of delegations at different levels” said Rajiv Bali, Chairman, Punjab Committee, PHD Chamber. “The visa issue was one of the biggest impediments to bilateral trade talks and the new agreement will remove this barrier” added Bali.
Trade and people-to-people ties between India and Pakistan takes on a new dimension with the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari-Wagah international border between the two countries to be formally inaugurated this week. With dedicated passenger and cargo terminals apart from adequate customs and immigration facilities, traders are hopeful that opening up of the ICP would boost trade many times between the two nations and promote smooth transition of people and cargo from India to Pakistan.
Though traders dealing with import and export to and from Pakistan are upbeat about the ICP project, they want the governments of both the countries to give another push so that trade between them could increase manifold. What has come as a dampener for traders is that the Pakistan government has still not allowed trade of items freely from the Attari-Wagah land route despite it being the cheapest and shortest trade route.
Pakistan had last month notified its negative list for India, which means barring 1,209 items, India can now export all products to the neighbouring country. However, Islamabad had allowed import of only 137 items through Wagah land route, instead of the nearly 2,000 items, which were allowed earlier under the positive list.
Traders have claimed that out of 137 items, majority of products are already exported to Pakistan through Wagah land crossing. The item includes livestock, carcasses, meat, vegetables, pineapple, pepper, newsprint, cement and yarn.
While trade through trucks has been going on in a limited way for selected items, mostly perishables like vegetables and fruits, livestock, dry fruits, meat and poultry, since October 2007, the bulk of the trade between the two countries takes place via the Mumbai-Dubai-Karachi route which is very expensive and time-consuming.
RS Sistan and India and traders of both countries use land and rail route for carrying out bilateral trade. Had Pakistan allowed the trade of more items through this land route, it would have cut down the transportation charges benefiting the traders in both the countries”. “India, currently, exports vegetables, frozen meat, soybean extraction, cotton yarn among other items, valuing about Rs 1,500 crore per annum through Attari-Wagah route”, added Sachdeva.
“Pakistan needs to expand the trade list to include many more things. Technology upgradation is needed so that time is not wasted in clearing goods. The authorities should also start thinking of using this route to extend trade with Afghanistan and Central Asian countries” said Dalip Sharma, Regional Director, PHD Chamber.
It is recalled that ICP Indian side spread over 130 acres of land was setup at Attari on Indian side which Govt. of India has spent nearly Rs. 120 Crore. This is the first ICP amongst 13 which shall start functioning in the month of April.
It is worth mentioning here that around 200 trucks of merchandise daily go from India to Pakistan and quite a number of trucks move from Pakistan to India at the Joint Check Post. Because of inadequate trade infrastructure facilities at the border, earlier Indian trucks are parked on the road side which is a serious bottleneck not only for passengers and also a hurdle in further enhancement of trade between Pakistan and India.
CHANDIGARH, APRIL 10
“People-to-people contacts through a relaxed visa policy are very important. India and Pakistan need to finalise a new visa agreement soon to boost business ties between the two countries through frequent exchange of delegations at different levels” said Rajiv Bali, Chairman, Punjab Committee, PHD Chamber. “The visa issue was one of the biggest impediments to bilateral trade talks and the new agreement will remove this barrier” added Bali.
Trade and people-to-people ties between India and Pakistan takes on a new dimension with the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari-Wagah international border between the two countries to be formally inaugurated this week. With dedicated passenger and cargo terminals apart from adequate customs and immigration facilities, traders are hopeful that opening up of the ICP would boost trade many times between the two nations and promote smooth transition of people and cargo from India to Pakistan.
Though traders dealing with import and export to and from Pakistan are upbeat about the ICP project, they want the governments of both the countries to give another push so that trade between them could increase manifold. What has come as a dampener for traders is that the Pakistan government has still not allowed trade of items freely from the Attari-Wagah land route despite it being the cheapest and shortest trade route.
Pakistan had last month notified its negative list for India, which means barring 1,209 items, India can now export all products to the neighbouring country. However, Islamabad had allowed import of only 137 items through Wagah land route, instead of the nearly 2,000 items, which were allowed earlier under the positive list.
Traders have claimed that out of 137 items, majority of products are already exported to Pakistan through Wagah land crossing. The item includes livestock, carcasses, meat, vegetables, pineapple, pepper, newsprint, cement and yarn.
While trade through trucks has been going on in a limited way for selected items, mostly perishables like vegetables and fruits, livestock, dry fruits, meat and poultry, since October 2007, the bulk of the trade between the two countries takes place via the Mumbai-Dubai-Karachi route which is very expensive and time-consuming.
RS Sistan and India and traders of both countries use land and rail route for carrying out bilateral trade. Had Pakistan allowed the trade of more items through this land route, it would have cut down the transportation charges benefiting the traders in both the countries”. “India, currently, exports vegetables, frozen meat, soybean extraction, cotton yarn among other items, valuing about Rs 1,500 crore per annum through Attari-Wagah route”, added Sachdeva.
“Pakistan needs to expand the trade list to include many more things. Technology upgradation is needed so that time is not wasted in clearing goods. The authorities should also start thinking of using this route to extend trade with Afghanistan and Central Asian countries” said Dalip Sharma, Regional Director, PHD Chamber.
It is recalled that ICP Indian side spread over 130 acres of land was setup at Attari on Indian side which Govt. of India has spent nearly Rs. 120 Crore. This is the first ICP amongst 13 which shall start functioning in the month of April.
It is worth mentioning here that around 200 trucks of merchandise daily go from India to Pakistan and quite a number of trucks move from Pakistan to India at the Joint Check Post. Because of inadequate trade infrastructure facilities at the border, earlier Indian trucks are parked on the road side which is a serious bottleneck not only for passengers and also a hurdle in further enhancement of trade between Pakistan and India.
No comments:
Post a Comment