SAARC sub-group set to meet

Kathmandu, May 14:

Member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are holding a sub-group meeting in the capital from May 16 to 17, on ‘non-tariff barriers’ under the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) framework. SAARC Secretariat is organising the meet.

According to sources at the ministry of industry, commerce and supplies, the meeting on non-tariff barriers is being held following a decision of recently concluded Dhaka meeting. Joint secretaries’ from the SAARC countries met from April 18 to 19 in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. The meeting had decided to notify national inquiry and review products’ list for export of each members of SAARC, sources disclosed. This meeting will be held at the under-secretary level that will submit its report to the committee of experts (CoE). The outcome of the meeting will be submitted to the CoE meeting to be held in October. Three dozens government officials from SAARC states are attending the sub-gro-up meeting. Almost all the SAARC countries have failed to advance their export among member countries due to regional non-tariff barriers.

Standards/quality of goods, laboratory issues and packing mechanisms are some of the issues that will be discussed at the meeting.