LAHORE: Non-tariff measures (NTM) desks are established in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan as a pilot project, and depending upon the effectiveness, these desks will be replicated in the remaining SAARC countries.
According to a spokesperson of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) the purpose of those NTM desks is to establish a sustainable mechanism for regular monitoring and reporting of NTMs, and to use the information as the basis for policy advocacy for removing NTMs in the region. These desks will be helpful in making timely decisions and identifying NTMs and the problems which are being faced by exporters in South Asian.
The SAARC SCCI hosted a dialogue on ‘Trade Facilitation in South Asia’ on the eve of the South Asian Free Trade Association (SAFTA) Committee of Experts meeting, where recommendations on reducing NTMs was handed over to SAFTA Committees of Experts (CoEs) for further action in Thimphu- Bhutan. The dialogue was organised in collaboration with Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) with the support from SAARC Trade Promotion Network (SAARC-TPN).
Zubair Ahmed Malik, Former President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers and Bader Munir, Deputy Secretary, SAARC CCI were part of the working group on Regional Trade Facilitation (RTF) and attended the launching ceremony in Thimphu, Bhutan.
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