Pak-EU free trade agreement in Feb: Ghani.

LAHORE, October 31, 2009 (Balochistan Times ): Federal Commerce Secretary Salman Ghani has said Pakistan will sign a free trade agreement with the European Union in February. In a meeting with the business community at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here Saturday, he said the decision was taken in his recent meeting with EU at Brussels. Ghani said efforts were also being made to ensure substantial progress on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU in two years. Representing our business community at the Brussels meeting, we have also demanded the EU provide easy access to Pakistan to its markets, he added. The commerce secretary said negotiations were underway on Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) while two meetings had been held and the third would take place in November this year. The Commerce Ministry also sought two or three people from the Pakistan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) to represent the private sector in the negotiating team, he maintained. He said smuggling was a critical element in the ATT, adding that Afghanistan had realised that it was a problem and there must be some solution on it in the agreement. The secretary said trade with India via Wagha border was not part of the ATT but a bilateral matter between Pakistan and India. Ghani said Pakistan was seeking access to US markets, especially for GSP and textile products, however, America was focusing on resettlement opportunity zones which did not encompass the whole textile products of Pakistan. Its a good sign the trade policy received a positive response from quarters concerned, he said, adding that all eight suggestions of LCCI had been incorporated in the new trade policy. He said they would brief trade bodies on the implementation of the trade policy in December this year. He urged the business community to suggest ways to improve the policy. Earlier, the commerce secretary was given a detailed briefing on the business census being held by the LCCI. The census will be initially held in Lahore and if proved feasible, its scope would be extended to the whole country for detailed data of the business community. LCCI President Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry and other office-bearers were also present.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)