Chairman, Import and Anti-Smuggling Sub-Committee of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Anis Majeed has assured members of the sub-committee that he will put up the issue of import of Courey and Suzuki engine from India before the Secretary Commerce for consideration.
The committee discussed the current status of trade with India (MFN, NTB and VE list) during a meeting held recently. Muhammad Siddiq Lodhia, member of the committee communicated to other members that engine of Courey 800 and Suzuki Alto had not been manufactured in Japan now but still was manufacturing in India, which was not only easily accessible in terms of shipment distance but also cheap in price.
Zoaib Dabbawala, Advisor of the sub-committee added that such facility of import from India should be relaxed because the local market of automobile's in Pakistan was very expensive. While in case of relaxing, the imports of car engine and parts or even car from India would not be less than a gift to Pakistani nation, he added. He further elaborated that India's manufacturing cost was Rs 50,000 to Rs 80,000 while in comparison Pakistan costs Rs 800,000 or plus, and said that two-way import and export should be balanced.
Anis Majeed further informed the committee that status of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) wasn't granted to India by Pakistan and it's in process. It has been approved by the cabinet but need to be passed by lower and upper house for official grant of MFN status to India and it will be announced by the Ministry of Commerce.
He further added that still the negative import list from India was under consideration and not to be issued or finalised. He mentioned that chamber had taken the output from different members and their recommendations had been forwarded to Secretary Commerce Zafar Mahmood. The committee has resolved that KCCI would put up the discussed suggestion to Secretary Commerce for adding new commodities in positive import list from India.