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ISLAMABAD: India is out to scuttle the expected GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) facility for Pakistan to be taken up by the Parliament of European Union on December 11. A vote is expected on the issue by December 16.This has been revealed in the correspondence of Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi Salman Bashir with authorities in Pakistan.
A letter from Salman Bashir (copy available with The News) says that India is not happy with Pakistan on the issue of subsidy on agriculture products as in the recent Bali moot India wanted the subsidy on agriculture products to continue among WTO member countries and there should be no cap on it, but Pakistan did not endorse India’s point of view.
Developed countries and members of WTO want that there should be a cap of 10 percent on subsidy on agriculture products, but India is opposing it and wanted Pakistan to side with New Dehli on the issue but Pakistan did not subscribe to this viewpoint of India. Now India is reportedly involved in lobbying in EU countries against the expected GSP-plus facility apparently to punish Pakistan.
Mr Salman in his correspondence informed the concerned authorities in Pakistan that he had met with the Indian commerce minister and mentioned in the meeting that Indian diplomats are very active in lobbying in Geneva against GSP-plus facility for Pakistan, but the Indian minister responded that his country would not oppose GSP-plus for Pakistan.
However, Bashir in the last paragraph of his correspondence says while quoting the Indian commerce minister that India is not happy with Pakistan, as Islamabad did not side with New Delhi on the issue of subsidy on agriculture sector.
Ambassador Salman Bashir came up with his own assessment by suggesting to the authorities in Pakistan to accelerate their diplomatic efforts in Brussels and Geneva to thwart the Indian designs by getting the majority votes of EU member countries in favour of GSP- plus.
The top sources in the commerce ministry said that France is also said to have developed nexus with India and decided to play an important role in EU Parliament against the move for GSP-plus facility for Pakistan.
They also said that GSP legislation does not assure that Pakistan’s exports will increase by $1 billion per annum as was earlier stated by the state minister for commerce Mr Khurram Dastgir.
Pakistan textile exports hover around $13 billion of which exports to EU stand at $5 billion. They said that Pakistan is strong in the area of bed linen and home textiles. Under GSP-plus facility, 90 percent of our products are covered under 14 percent of the tariff lines and 10 percent products come under other 70 percent tariff lines which are not made in PakistanSo the annual impact of GSP-plus on Pakistan’s exports will hover around $220 to $300 million.
India out to scuttle GSP-plus facility for Pakistan - thenews.com.pk
A letter from Salman Bashir (copy available with The News) says that India is not happy with Pakistan on the issue of subsidy on agriculture products as in the recent Bali moot India wanted the subsidy on agriculture products to continue among WTO member countries and there should be no cap on it, but Pakistan did not endorse India’s point of view.
Developed countries and members of WTO want that there should be a cap of 10 percent on subsidy on agriculture products, but India is opposing it and wanted Pakistan to side with New Dehli on the issue but Pakistan did not subscribe to this viewpoint of India. Now India is reportedly involved in lobbying in EU countries against the expected GSP-plus facility apparently to punish Pakistan.
Mr Salman in his correspondence informed the concerned authorities in Pakistan that he had met with the Indian commerce minister and mentioned in the meeting that Indian diplomats are very active in lobbying in Geneva against GSP-plus facility for Pakistan, but the Indian minister responded that his country would not oppose GSP-plus for Pakistan.
However, Bashir in the last paragraph of his correspondence says while quoting the Indian commerce minister that India is not happy with Pakistan, as Islamabad did not side with New Delhi on the issue of subsidy on agriculture sector.
Ambassador Salman Bashir came up with his own assessment by suggesting to the authorities in Pakistan to accelerate their diplomatic efforts in Brussels and Geneva to thwart the Indian designs by getting the majority votes of EU member countries in favour of GSP- plus.
The top sources in the commerce ministry said that France is also said to have developed nexus with India and decided to play an important role in EU Parliament against the move for GSP-plus facility for Pakistan.
They also said that GSP legislation does not assure that Pakistan’s exports will increase by $1 billion per annum as was earlier stated by the state minister for commerce Mr Khurram Dastgir.
Pakistan textile exports hover around $13 billion of which exports to EU stand at $5 billion. They said that Pakistan is strong in the area of bed linen and home textiles. Under GSP-plus facility, 90 percent of our products are covered under 14 percent of the tariff lines and 10 percent products come under other 70 percent tariff lines which are not made in PakistanSo the annual impact of GSP-plus on Pakistan’s exports will hover around $220 to $300 million.
India out to scuttle GSP-plus facility for Pakistan - thenews.com.pk
