May 9, 2006	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1427

ISLAMABAD, May 8: Indian sugar exporters have requested their government to exempt them from the condition of seeking prior permission for exporting 100,000 tons of the commodity to Pakistan. Informed sources told Dawn on Monday that the Indian exporters were bound to get go-ahead from New Delhi regarding quantity of the commodity for export.

Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar had raised the issue with the Indian State Minister for Commerce on the sideline of a meeting on Safta held in Saarc secretariat recently, the sources said.

The sources said that the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) had awarded tenders for the import of around 150,000 tons of sugar to Indian exporters in different biddings since February 2006. “Another tender for 50,000 tons is also likely to be awarded to an Indian exporter,” they added.

For participating in the biddings, the sources said, the Indian exporters had to get approval from their government each time which resulted in wastage of time.

They said that around 64,000 tons of Indian sugar had already arrived at Karachi and Qasim ports and had been shifted to the TCP godowns.