INDIA WILL ACCEPT QUALITY CERTIFICATES BY ACCREDITED PAK
LABS: JAIRAM RAMESH
Call For Liberalisation Of Investment Regime By Both Countries
NEW DELHI, November 12, 2008. India is willing to accept quality certificates given
by Pakistani Labs provided these are accredited to internationally recognised bodies or to
National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL) of India,
Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power, announced
here today.
Inaugurating the Conference on India-Pakistan Economic Relations, organised by
FICCI and the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(FPCCI) with the support of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(SCCI) and Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Mr. Ramesh said: “Of the 32 Non Tariff
Barriers notified by Pakistan, the one relating to quality and certification procedures,
especially in the case of textiles, pharmaceuticals and processed foods, has not been
addressed”. This, he said, was due to the fact that today there is no laboratory in Pakistan
that is accredited to international bodies or to NABL.
Mr. Ramesh underlined the need for liberalisation of the investment regime by both
Pakistan and India as the “answer to the trade deficit issue raised by Pakistan lies in
transparent and direct investment in both countries”.
“We need to move towards the removal of the ban on FDI from Pakistan to India and
vice versa,” as it was investment that will drive trade and bring genuine investors to both
countries.
As for the lack of telecom connectivity between the two countries, Mr. Ramesh pointed
out that the optical fibre link would become fully functional by 2009.
He said, both India and Pakistan had allowed two banks from their countries to set up
branches in either country. “While the basic decisions in this regard have been taken, the
implementation is awaited as the banks need to make an application to their respective
central bank for the go-ahead.
Mr. Ramesh said, India has embarked on a Rs. 150 crore project to set up a modern,
integrated check post and upgrade the immigration facilities at the land customs station at
the Attar-Wagah border. The project will be completed by 2011, he said.
Mr. Tanvir A. Sheikh, President, FPCCI, listed out the potential sectors for trade,
investment and joint ventures as engineering, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, textiles,
textile machinery, chemicals, plastics & melamine and food and agri-business. He said
SAFTA, he said, was likely to contribute significantly to intra-regional trade along with
scope for enhanced India-Pakistan trade, particularly in transportation equipment and
engineering goods, including IT products. Complete elimination of tariffs under SAFTA
would increase the intra-regional trade by 1.6 times the existing level, he pointed out.
Mr. Tariq Sayeed, President, SCCI, called upon the Indian government to bring several
proposals on immigration issues of the Pakistan business community on the table at the
SAARC meeting on November 24. These include: increase in the number of SAARC visa
exemption stickers from 100 to 300 for each member country of SAARC; remove the
restriction of visiting three cities only for the holders of SAARC stickers;
include ’spouse’ in the category of 17 specified for office bearers and members of the
executive committee of SCCI; and issue multiple entry visas to 500 businessmen for five
years.
Mr. S M Munir, President, India Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
said there were great opportunities for establishing Indo-Pak joint ventures in cement,
farm products, caustic soda, livestock & dairy products and rural development.
Mr. Harsh Pati Singhania, Senior Vice President, FICCI, pointed out the Pakistan
could export to India with comparative advantage in numerous products such as cement,
cotton yarn & textiles, leather products, surgical instruments, fans, water coolers, paper,
molasses, vegetable and fruits. Likewise, import of products such as iron ore, steel,
chemicals & dyes, minerals and textile machinery will meet Pakistan’s requirements of
capital goods and other manufactured goods at the lowest possible resource cost. Further,
both India and Pakistan can greatly benefit from the import of agricultural products
across the border like wheat, species, sugar, meat & meat products and other edibles to
meet the production shortfalls at competitive prices.
Mr. Onkar S Kanwar, Co-President, India-Pakisatn Chamber of Commerce and
Industry and Past President, FICCI, underscored the need for liberalising the visa
regime between the two countries by issuing of non-police reporting and long term
multiple entry business visas. He also called for a better understanding and timely
facilitation for India-Pakistan joint ventures. The governments of the two countries, he
said, should set up an institutional mechanism that would guarantee each other’s
investment by signing an Investment Promotion & Protection Treaty.
The conference was also addressed, amongst others, by Mr. Shahid Malik, High
Commissioner of Pakistan to India; Mr. Rene Klaff, Regional Director-South Asia,
Friedrich Naumann Foundation; Mr. Rajeev Kher, Joint Secretary (SAARC), Ministry of
Commerce & Industry (India); Mr. Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Executive Committee
Member, ACCI and FICCI; Mr. Adaish Partap Singh Kairon, Minister for Food, Civil
Supplies, Consumer Affairs and IT, Government of Punjab; and Mr. Sayed Yawar Ali,
Chairman, Wazir Ali Industries and Nestle Milk Pak Ltd..
MEDIA DIVISION