The Ministry of Textile Industry has refused to withdraw its reservations over the negative list for India prepared by the Commerce Ministry, well informed sources told Business Recorder. "We have decided to resist Commerce Ministry on the one-sided negative list and will not submit anything additional. We already have sent our viewpoint to the Commerce Secretary," the sources added.
To finalise the Ministry of Commerce's summary to the Cabinet for transition from positive to negative list for imports from India separate meetings with relevant stakeholders have been arranged. The negative list and schedule for its phasing out will be discussed in these meetings, said sources, adding that a meeting between the Ministry of Textile Industry and Commerce will be held on February 22, 2012 (today).
Similarly, the Commerce Ministry will hold a meeting with the Ministry of Production and Food Security on the same date. However, meeting with the Ministry of Industries was held here on Tuesday. All these meetings were arranged to convince these ministries to support the transition from the positive list to a negative list. All the ministries have been asked to submit their views in these meetings; however, the disgruntled Textile Ministry has decided not to submit anything in writing as the Ministry has already informed the Commerce Ministry through letters.
On the directives of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the Ministry of Commerce invited the relevant stakeholders after the last Cabinet meeting in which the agenda item on changing the positive list to negative for India was deferred. The Commerce Ministry held a meeting on February 15, 2012, where different ministries were invited. The meeting was attended by Interior Minister, Commerce Minister, Textile Minister and officials of Foreign Ministry as well. The meeting lasted for five hours and at the end Commerce Ministry regretted that at this point of time Commerce Ministry was not in a position to change its view on the list.
After that the Commerce Ministry again scheduled separate meetings with relevant ministries. All the ministries have shown serious reservation on hasty process and methodology for normalisation of trade with India. Other ministries raised the issue with the Commerce Ministry while asking whether unilateral abolition of Appendix-G was the only way out for normalisation of trade with India. They further for alternatives to normalise trade with India, sources added.
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