December 2, 2011 admin

LIBERALISE VISA REGIMES, OPEN BORDERS TO TRADE: PRESIDENT, LCCI

Amritsar, 2 December 2011 :“To curb third party trade, both India and Pakistan should come up with a policy for opening the borders for trade and commerce”, said Sheikh Irfan Qaiser, President, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) indicating that there is huge trade potential between the two countries.Qaiser is leading the 125 member delegation of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry visiting Amritsar to participate in the PHD-Punjab International Trade Expo, PHD-PITEX, 2011. Qaiser, while interacting with the media persons said that he was here to extend the message of peace, and hoped for the dawn of a new era for both the countries. Speaking strongly about the stringent entry restrictions, Qaiser said, “There should be no requirement of visa for Pak and Indian traders for more and more bilateral trade promotion.”  He called for opening of multiple visas to the business community to start with. The frequent visits of businessmen on both sides of the border would lead frequent meetings. Calling for liberalizing of visa regimes both sides of the border, Qaiser said, “The more the meetings, the better communication and lesser misunderstandings would pave way for mutual co-operation and unprecedented growth in bilateral trade.”  Qaiser further added, “If jointly endorsed by Indian and Pak Chambers, the businessmen and traders should be allowed to cross the border for at least 3-4 days.” Speaking about the MFN status, he said that we should move ahead with the present list of items and once the confidence between both the countries grows, the negative list can be revised again. Inviting R S Sachdeva, Co-Chairman, Punjab Committee, PHD Chamber to visit the newly set up Lahore Expo Centre and set up “Indian Pavilion” there, he requested the co-chairman to lead the PHD Chamber business delegation to Lahore. Quipping in, Sachdeva said that opening up of more and trade corridors would definitely help growth in fathoming the profuse trade potential.  Dalip Sharma, Regional Director, PHD Chamber shared that the present trade volume between the two nations stood at $2.7 bn. Sharma said that with the opening up of trade  at Indo-Pak border and with the trade becoming legalised, the business communities of both the countries would benefit from the losses incurred through the Dubai route. Tariq Sadiq, Past President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry is also accompanying the LCCI delegation.
 

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