The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Chittagong

Speakers at a seminar here yesterday emphasised the need for formation of joint trade facilitation committee and arrangement of a special fund between Bangladesh and Pakistan for promotion of tourism and agriculture.

They also pleaded for signing a bilateral trade agreement to boost economic ties between the two countries.

The seminar on "Trade prospects between Bangladesh and Pakistan under the framework of SAFTA" was organised jointly by Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Pakistan High Commission in Bangladesh.

CCCI President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and Director General of Foreign Trade Institute of Pakistan, Dr. Safder A Sohail presented two separate key-note papers at the seminar at CCCI conference room.

Commerce Secretary of Pakistan High Commission to Dhaka Rubina Towfiq Shah, former President Eng. Ali Ahmed, BGMEA First Vice President M A Salam, Industrialists Sufi Mizanur Rahman and Taher Sobhan, Dean of commerce faculty of Chittagong University Prof. A K M Mohiuddin and Dean of commerce faculty of Southern University Prof. Sawkatul Meher ,among others, took part in the discussion.

CCCI President in his key-note paper observed that bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan had not been increased up to desired level in the past despite ample scopes.

He put importance on giving duty-free access facilities to Pakistan market for 73 Bangladeshi products under 9 categories, scrapping potential Bangladeshi exportable items from sensitive list, introduction of simplified tariff schedule, relax in the rules of origin and recognition of each others testing certificates against export goods to push the volume of trade between two countries at one billion dollar mark.

The CCCI President also called upon the Pakistani entrepreneurs to set up industry on prospective sectors like textile, lather goods , agro-products, light engineering , and IT on joint venture basis by taking advantage of duty and quota- free market access facilities given by various developed and developing countries for Bangladeshi goods.

Dr. Safder A Sohail in his paper said time has not come yet to evaluate properly the activities and fruits of SAFTA as its activities ware still limited.

He said long sensitive product lists, clumsy rules of origin, huge non-tariff barrier, complicated geographical reality, old mind set and lack of effective institutional cooperation among the SAARC countries have created doubt among many about the success of SAFTA.

Dr. Sohail suggested that more exchanges of trade related information, introduction of direct shipping link, launching of sufficient cargo and passenger flights and establishments of broader understanding on expanding overall relations for escalating further the trade ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan.