Monday, May 15 2006 15:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Ahead of the approaching deadline for implementation of the South Asian Free Trade agreement (SAFTA), Pakistan is planning to import 100 more items from India from the next fiscal.

Islamabad had received a list of 286 items from India during the third round of Joint Study Group held here, out of which the Commerce Ministry identified 100 items, which would be included in the positive list, for the time being, Pakistan daily Business Recorder quoted officials as saying.

Preference would be given to those items on which duty is about five per cent and are not locally manufactured, the officials said adding that the list would be finalised at an inter-ministerial meeting to be held after the budget, after seeking approval from the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

If the 100 items are included, the positive list would reach upto 882 items as the decision to import cement from India could be withdrawn as the prices of the locally manufactured cement may come down the Economic Advisor to Finance Ministry Ashfaque Hasan Khan said.

Presently, the trade volume between the two countries stands over 800 million dollars and India is keenly awaiting to see whether Pakistan would implement SAFTA roadmap which would come into affect from July one.

SAFTA is fully implement able by 2015. Under the agreement for which Pakistan is a signatory, the SAARC countries have to trade each other with short list of negative items and open the rest for direct trade.