Suspension tied to repatriation agreement: Duty on bed linen
By Mubarak Zeb Khan
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The European Union (EU) has linked the suspension of anti-dumping duty of 13.1 per cent on bed-linen with the signing of a repatriation agreement, reliable sources told Dawn on Wednesday.
The agreement would enable the EU to repatriate any person to Pakistan, who keeps a Pakistani passport or Nationality and is living illegally in Europe. Pakistan in case with the commitments signed the agreement with the EU, it would result in deportation of a huge number of people, who were currently working in various European countries.
The EU had earlier given an assurance to Pakistan that they had a power to suspend the levy of anti-dumping duty on Pakistani bed-linen until the review process was completed by end of 2004.
During this period, they agreed to reduce the anti-dumping duty to 1.1 per cent from 13.1 per cent so that following the graduation of clothing and made ups from the drug related generalised system of preferences (GSP) scheme of zero duty from January 1, 2005, the actual levy of duty on Pakistani bed linen would remain at 13.1 per cent.
But with the definitive duty of 13.1 per cent anti-dumping duty, Pakistani bed-linen would now attract customs duty at the rate of 25 per cent (13.1 per cent anti-dumping duty and 12 per cent normal duty earlier exempted under GSP scheme) from January 1, 2005 in the EU markets till the issue was resolved.
On the other hand, the sources said, Pakistan was opposing the condition on the pretext that Islamabad was not responsible to accept those stateless people, who did not have a valid Pakistani passport or Nationality holder and living illegally in Europe.
Pakistan would also not accept those people particularly Afghan refuges, Bangalis and others living in Europe who got Pakistani passport for travelling purposes to settle in any European country.
The sources said that the issue of repatriation agreement was also raised bilaterally by Italy, UK, etc., with Pakistani high officials including prime minister, foreign minister and commerce minister.
According to these sources, the EU was likely to make effective the new GSP scheme from April 2005 instead of July 2005 to give maximum benefit to tsunami affected countries in Asia.
The sources maintained that during the current visit of the prime minister to Brussels some good result was expected to be achieved in getting access to the GSP plus scheme. Pakistan has also been asked to ratify around 27 conventions related to various sectors.
When contacted, the Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan told Dawn on telephone from Brussels that Pakistan would continue political pressure on EU to give access to Pakistani products to zero duty scheme as Islamabad was fighting war against extremism and terrorism.
Mr Khan said that Pakistan would continue lobbying to convince the EU for giving special treatment to Pakistan under its new GSP scheme. He said that he was hopeful of a positive outcome of the current visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to Brussels. He said for the first time in Pakistan's history such an extensive lobbying was conducted for getting access to any preferential scheme of the EU.
