India assures six-month visa to auto part makers

Diplomat promises flexible visa policy for businessmen.

LAHORE: Indian Commercial Attaché Arvind Saxena, while assuring the business community of introducing a flexible visa policy soon, has announced that Delhi will issue a six-month visa with permission for three entries to managing committee members of the Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (Paapam).

Speaking at a luncheon hosted by Paapam here on Thursday, Saxena said Pakistani businessmen were always facilitated whenever they desired to meet their counterparts in India and over 5,000 businessmen had been given visas in the last six months.

“The association’s chairman, former chairman and managing committee members will be facilitated and they will be able to visit India thrice in six months, without the need for informing any government agency including police.”

He agreed with a proposal that Indian visa procedures should be streamlined for the whole business community in a bid to step up people-to-people contacts.

Addressing the issue of non-tariff barriers, the diplomat stressed that the businessmen of Pakistan should not be afraid of such barriers, which were not at all Pakistan-specific and were debatable.

Speaking on the occasion, Paapam Chairman Nabeel Hashmi said the auto part manufacturers were seeking technical collaboration with Indian companies for manufacturing hi-tech parts in Pakistan.

“Paapam is looking forward to developing contacts with Indian manufacturers, besides analysing the possibility of joint ventures with them,” he said.

Praising the Indian government for allowing investment from Pakistan, Hashmi termed it a positive step, but pointed out that procedures had not been clarified for Pakistani investors and these should be flexible for enhancing trade in the region.

In an attempt to strengthen trade ties, Indian manufacturers of all auto sectors including two and three wheelers, cars, trucks, buses and tractors have been invited to visit Pakistan and set up manufacturing facilities to cater to the needs of Pakistan and central Asian states. “This can be a win-win situation for both countries and their auto industries,” he said.

He also pointed to the issue of rejection of letters of credit issued by Pakistani banks and vice versa, calling for its solution.

In addition to this, the barriers in the way of auto part exports to India include separate customs clearance procedures, environmental certifications and safety certifications, which are difficult to get. Imports from other countries did not face the same hurdles in India and these should be removed, Hashmi said.

He pointed out that trade promotion was the only way to minimise political tensions in the region and said Pakistan and India should not mix trade with politics. “If we have strong trade relations, the political ties will get better automatically.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2012.