April 14, 2012 6:51 PM

printer

New business visa regime to boost India-Pak bilateral trade in offing

India and Pakistan may formally announce a new business visa regime to boost bilateral trade at the next secretary level talks. Although India has sought the date for the forth coming meeting of th Home Secretary with his Pakistani counterpart after May 22, the schedule is yet to be finalised. A formal decision on easing the visa regime is expected at the meeting. This was indicated in a joint statement issued in New Delhi today after talks between Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Mohammad Amin Fahim. The statement both the minsters expressed their joint wish that business visa regime needs to be liberalised at the earliest.The statement said there has been a substantial increase in the list of commodities permitted to be imported from India. It said , Pakistan Cabinet had decided to completely phase out the Negative List by December 2012 and it is subject to further negotiations between the two countries.It was also agreed that discussions will continue at the official level to draw a roadmap for further reductions in the SAFTA sensitive lists. Both the sides also expressed desire to fast track the ongoing process on issues of trade in petroleum products and electricity.Giving impetus to people-to-people contact and trade ties with Pakistan, India yesterday opened a modern Integrated Check Post equipped with a dedicated passenger terminal and sprawling cargo facility, built at cost of 150 crore rupees at Attari.

Most Read
View All arrow-right

No posts found.