Import from India: 18 more items added to positive list

ZAHEER ABBASI & MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN

ISLAMABAD, The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Friday approved expansion of positive list by allowing import of over 18 more items from India, it is learnt.

Sources said that the ECC meeting chaired by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh approved inclusion of following items in the 'positive list'(i) Empty aluminum alloy milk cans; (ii) accessories for leather bags and footwear; (iii) jigs and dies for vehicles; (iv) other polymers of ethylene in primary form; (v) Lufenuron (chemical name - dichloro-4- hexa fluoro - propoxy phenyl/urea); (vi) cotton linters; (vii) fungicides for leather industry; (viii) other chemicals (ucer G-50) for leather industry; (ix) textile spinning machines; (x) cone/bobbin winding machines; (xi) reeling machines; (xii) power looms; (xiii) sewing, darning or embroidery needles; (xiv) fly ash for cement industry only; (xv) thermoplastic rubber sole; (xvi) traction motors and their spares; (xvii) printed books of all kind; and (xviii) flavouring powder.

The Ministry of Commerce in its summary moved to the ECC said that the Prime Minister was given a detailed briefing on the proposed amendments in the Import Policy Order (IPO) and Export Policy Order (EPO). The summary requested for approval of expansion in the positive list of items importable from India.

According to a statement, the ECC considered more than 17 agenda items and approved eleven items. The ECC approved regulatory changes in the import and export Policy Orders (STPF 2009-12), granted permission to import from India, on one-time basis as well as debt relief, to Uganda under heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative.

The ECC also approved waiver of competitive bidding requirement under PPRA rules for Emergency Response and Social Administration Information System (ER&SAIS) Project of NTC under MoU with ZTE Corporation of China, rising frequency of incidents of terror strikes against persons hailing from various walks of life, Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project allocation of imported gas to SSGC and SNGPL, and resumption of POL supplies ex-Faqirabad, Kotla Jam, Sahiwaland Shershah.

The meeting granted approval for load Management during Ramazan and Eid holidays--Supply of Fuel to KESC, report on ECC decision in respect of Import of Urea, and renewal of GoP Guarantee of Rs.2000 million for Pakistan Steel Mills.

The ECC granted approval for natural gas load management programme for winter 2011-12. The ECC constituted a committee comprising the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain, Secretary Cabinet, Secretary Finance, PSPM and Secretary Revenue to fine-tune the proposals contained in the summary moved by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources for the finalisation of the draft of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan India (Tapi) pipeline project.

The Committee shall submit the report within shortest time, before the commencement of the visit of the President of Turkmenistan. The other Committee constituted by the ECC has been accredited to fine-tune the details of the proposals of the earlier Standing Committee of the ECC by which Sui Southern Gas Company and SNGPL will supply the gas imported from Iran to only efficient power plant and after entering into back to back gas sales purchase agreement (GSPA with Power Plants). The earlier two proposals contained in the Summary that the gas volume of 750 MMCFD imported from Iran to be allocated to SNGPL and SSGC with 65pc and 35pc respectively were approved.

Another Committee would look into the two of the four proposals moved by the Ministry of the Interior for the import of bulletproof vehicles.