The request for allocation of quota for Nepalese tea and also for duty-free access to Nepalese cardamom, coffee, lentil and ginger was made at the fifth session of Pak-Nepal Joint Commission held in Katmandu, Nepal, in March this year.
The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) circulated minutes of the meeting among member bodies on October 28, inviting views on the implementation of decisions taken at the meeting.
Majority of the decisions taken had not been given any serious consideration by the authorities in Islamabad, trade circles said.
For instance, Nepal's request to consider establishment of joint ventures for the production of pharmaceutical goods, textile and leather products in Nepal had remained unattended, they claimed.
They expressed the desire to benefit from the experiences gained by Pakistan in privatisation of its industrial sector.
The FPCCI, the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) could have played a pro-active role in promoting the exchange of trade, investment and exchange of industrialists' delegations.
Regretfully, even the Joint Business Council of the FPCCI is lying dormant for the last three years.
Both the countries face difficulties in transportation of goods to and from Nepal and Pakistan and to overcome this problem, Nepal had requested the PIA to reduce its cargo rates and increase flights to Nepal. But this was not found feasible at all in view of low volume of two-way trade, the trade circles said.
The issue of utilisation of alternate surface transit route between the two countries should stand resolved with the conclusion of Safta as all the Saarc member states would automatically get connected through land routes.