ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: Pakistan has proposed to sign an Early Harvest Programme (EHP) with Turkey by slashing customs duties to zero per cent on agricultural products as part of preferential trade agreement (PTA).

An official told Dawn that the proposal was tabled by Pakistan at the end of the second round of technical experts meeting with Turkish authorities here on Thursday. Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan and Turkish Minister of State of Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen had signed the framework agreement on PTA on July 16, 2004.

The two sides failed to finalized the lists of items for concession under the PTA during the last 17 months as the Turkish authorities wanted that the agreement could only be related to agricultural products.

However, following the signing of PTA both sides were bound to finalize the lists within a period of one month. Turkey was of the opinion that they could not give any market access for Pakistan’s industrial products, what they said, was not possible for them because of being signatory to the European Union Customs Union. The official said that under the EHP Pakistan would seek market access for rice, vegetables, some processed food and fisheries.

However, Ankara would get market access for its industrial goods in Pakistan under the agreement. According to the official, Islamabad also proposed to widen the scope of the agreement by including services sector. Pakistan would seek market access for the skilled and un-skilled labour, or commercial presence of Pakistani service providers in the Turkish market. “We could get benefits from the agreement, in case Turkey agreed to give more visas to our workers for working in their markets,” the official added. According to the official, the wish lists — defining items for duty reduction — will be finalized by in the third round of negotiations on PTA in March.

A source privy to the meeting told this scribe that the Turkish authorities seemed now least interested to have a full-fledged PTA with Pakistan as Ankara was in a bid to become a member of EU. Following becoming a member of EU, the sources said, it would not be possible for Turkey to have a bilateral arrangement with any country.