The Hindu : Front Page : Impetus to cement import

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 02, 2007
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Impetus to cement import

Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday agreed to put cement import from Pakistan on fast track even as both nations decided to take a host of steps to multiply the bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2010.

At the end of the two-day talks between the Commerce Secretaries, it was agreed to allow two banks from both nations to operate branches across the border by December 31, 2007.

State Bank of India and Bank of India had applied for opening branches in Pakistan, while United Bank and National Bank of Pakistan are keen on starting operations in India.

India promised to put on fast track completion of certification formalities to allow import of cement and to make policy changes to allow third party certification, a joint statement issued after the “Fourth Round of India-Pakistan Talks on Economic and Commercial Cooperation” said.

“Pakistan has around 15 million tonnes of cement available for export. The first shipment should be ready by next month,” Pakistan Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Shah said at a joint press conference.

Commerce Secretary G.K. Pillai said inspectors of the Bureau of Indian Standards inspected four Pakistani facilities and they would prepare a report by this month end.

India has a cement capacity of 170 million tonnes and faces a shortfall of 10 million tonnes.

It was agreed to encourage export of Indian tea — which takes place through unofficial channels of Singapore and Dubai — through rail route.

Islamabad took note of a request to provide duty concessions. India decided to facilitate trade on 20 items of interest to Pakistan while seeking addition of 484 items in the 1,075-item list on which Islamabad allows trade with New Delhi.

Basmati rice issue

It was decided to work jointly to protect Basmati rice from unauthorised patenting.

Islamabad raised the issue of notification by New Delhi, allowing export of the Super Basmati variety that Islamabad claims has been developed by it. India agreed to look into the issue.

The two countries agreed to establish telecom connectivity at an early date and reviewed the progress of the optical fibre link.

Pakistan was invited to send a team to explore cooperation in IT-enabled telemedicine.

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