SAARC nations agree to liberalize visa regime

Commerce ministers from SAARC countries have agreed to expedite work on relaxing visa formalities for business people to expand regional trade.
Addressing the demand of business community from South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), ministers last Thursday agreed to take necessary steps to relax visa regime in the region.
Representatives of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industries have been pressing for relaxation of visa regime in the region.
The issue of relaxing business visa was discussed at the 7th meeting of South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) Ministerial Council held in Islamabad last week, according to Naindra Prasad Upadhaya, joint-secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS).
"Visa relaxation for business people will increase mobility and hence benefit regional trade," he told Republica on Tuesday.
The ministerial meeting also expressed commitment to strengthen road, rail and air connectivity in the region.
"This will help facilitate regional trade of landlocked countries like Nepal," Upadhyay added.
SAFTA member countries are also in the process of reducing the list of sensitive goods. "We have started to share the ´offer and request letter´ among countries to reduce the list of sensitive goods," Upadhaya added.
Upadhaya, however, refused to disclose the goods that that the government is reducing from the sensitive list.