August 04, 2007	Saturday	Rajab 19, 1428

NEW DELHI, Aug 3: The commerce secretaries of India and Pakistan prescribed transparent measures on Friday to combat artificial trade barriers between the two countries and they set up empowered committees to help implement the resolve.

India’s G. Pillai and Pakistan’s Syed Asif Shah led talks at the joint study group (JSG), which met here for the third time since it was formed recently, and both expressed support for a time-bound implementation of their recommendations.

Mr Pillai stressed that the JSG should aim at developing a policy framework to maximise benefits of geographical proximity, identify opportunities for enhancing economic cooperation and create a framework to boost trade in goods including elements such as customs cooperation, standards, and certification system.

Mr Shah agreed and said that in the spirit of the article XXIV of GATT, India should consider creating special provision for giving more market access to Pakistan. The article deals with the special privileges that neighbouring countries could be accorded in bilateral trade. India noted the request.

Mr Shah proposed and the Indian side agreed that sub-groups on Customs cooperation and trade facilitation measures, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, agreement on technical barriers to trade, and standards & conformance should meet every six months to ensure speedy implementation of the recommendations of the joint study group.

Pakistan also wants to set up a sub-group to address the issue of market access rising linked to the agriculture sector in India. Mr Pillai noted the proposal.

The sub-group on customs cooperation and trade facilitation measures agreed: a) To work towards a bilateral agreement on customs cooperation on specific bilateral issues; b) To constitute a Customs Border Liaison Committee at Attari-Wagah border to meet once in two months to resolve the operational issues at the field level; c) To work towards electronic exchange of information, including verification of adherence to the Rules of Origin; d) To meet at a six-monthly interval alternatively in India and Pakistan.

It was also agreed to exchange a list of 20 products of export interest to both sides by 31 August 2007 and prepare a compendium of procedures for their trade facilitation. Though this would be a continuous process, efforts would be made to complete the exercise and place it on their respective websites by 31 December 2007.

The Non-Tariff issues associated with the identified commodities or any other product would be exchanged by 30 September 2007 and the issue would be resolved in the working group scheduled to meet in November 2007.

To facilitate export of cement from Pakistan to India, it was agreed to finalise the process of certification of the three Pakistani cement factories, from which samples have already been taken, by September 15, 2007.

For the purpose of harmonisation of standards it was mutually agreed that initially standards for cement would be taken as a pilot project, to be extended to other products up for trade.