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ISLAMABAD: A high-level Indian delegation is scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday to hold meetings with Pakistani authorities for evolving ways of removing non-tariff barriers between the two countries.
The Indian delegation comprising officials from leading regulatory agencies of India will interact with Pakistani businesspersons to apprise them of customs procedures, regulations, standards and certification requirements for entering into the Indian market.
An official said the Indian regulators would hold meetings with the business community in the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Jan 26 and in offices of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan in Karachi on Jan 27.
Pakistan links its trade liberalisation process with India to removal of NTBs in India, which according to the business community, blocked entry of Pakistani goods into different Indian states.
However, the Indian side has given clarifications time and again that there was no Pakistan-specific NTBs. Even Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood endorsed the Indian view of having no Pakistan-specific NTBs.
To remove NTBs for Pakistani goods, both countries are also working on signing of three agreements.
“We have already exchanged the draft of these agreements with India,” an official in the ministry said.
The agreements are expected to be signed in the upcoming visit by the Indian commerce minister next month.
These agreements are the Customs Cooperation Agreement, to avoid arbitrary stoppages of goods at each other’s ports; mutual recognition agreement for acceptance of certificates of internationally accredited laboratories; and redressal of grievances agreement in case of any disagreement.
An official statement said the Indian delegation would consist of officials from Customs, Bureau of Indian Standards, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and Export Inspection Council.
This Indian regulators visit is the follow up of the 5th and 6th round of commerce secretary-level talks held in April and Nov, 2011, respectively.
During the 5th round of commerce secretary-level talks, the issue of NTBs faced by the business community of Pakistan in the Indian trade regime was taken up with the Indian side.
Subsequently, during the visit of Pakistan’s commerce minister to India, it was proposed to the India side to send a delegation of regulators to Pakistan to educate the business community on NTBs.
During the 6th round of commerce secretary-level talks in New Delhi, the Indian side agreed to send a delegation of the regulators to Pakistan to hold interactive sessions with the business community on Indian import regime.
The commerce ministry is very hopeful that the Indian visit will provide awareness to the business community to know about the entering procedures into Indian markets and encourages all the stakeholders to attend sessions, added the announcement.
