India vows to simplify business visa

New land routes will be opened with longer trading hours at border.

FAISALABAD: The new Indian government will make efforts to promote regional cooperation, particularly trade with Pakistan, by offering more facilities, simplifying business visa process and removing trade-related hurdles on a priority basis, says a top diplomat.

Speaking to business community at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) on Monday, Indian High Commissioner Dr TCA Raghavan said South Asian region was facing multiple challenges because of lack of education and economic development. “People are deprived of education and other basic facilities,” he said.

Raghavan, who was visiting Faisalabad after nine to 10 years, praised the city for making tremendous progress in the period.

Discussing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s recent visit to India, he said he was in Delhi when premier Sharif met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I was extremely happy to see them on one platform,” he said, quoting a historic saying, “we could choose our friends but not neighbours.”

Saying that terrorism had hampered regional progress, he strongly condemned Sunday’s act of terrorism in Karachi that was a major setback to regional peace and stability.

According to Raghavan, last year trade between the two sides rose from $2.5 billion to $3 billion with endeavours continuing to further increase commerce.

“We have already simplified procedures, particularly the liberalisation of business visa policy and more facilities will be provided for multiple-entry visa and multiple-city visa,” he said.

Raghavan stressed that new land routes would be opened to step up trade in addition to increasing trading hours at the Wagah-Attari border. A proposal was also under consideration to facilitate business people to meet each other on this point frequently and freely.

He announced that a workshop on visa issues would be arranged in Faisalabad after Ramazan.

Pakistan and India have already signed three agreements on customs cooperation, mutual recognition of standards and addressing trade grievances.

About customs, he asked FCCI members to give him details of irritants as a coordination meeting between customs officials was expected to be held next week in Lahore.

He assured them that a representative of the Indian High Commission would also participate in the meeting to resolve customs-related issues.

The high commissioner said he would try to resolve problems pertaining to restrictions on carrying mobile phones from across the border in addition to streamlining direct courier service between the two countries.

Earlier, FCCI President Engineer Suhail Bin Rashid said bilateral trade stood around $2.59 billion, but it would go up to $4 to $5 billion in a couple of years, still short of the potential of $10 billion.

In 2013, exports to India were $379.16 million whereas imports from India amounted to $2.18 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2014.

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