Govt package for LDCs soon, assures Nath

Dismissing reports of a delay in the announcement of duty-free and quota-free package to least developed countries...

Dismissing reports of a delay in the announcement of duty-free and quota-free package to least developed countries (LDCs), commerce minister Kamal Nath has said that the matter would soon be taken up by the Cabinet for clearance. “There is no delay. There is a consultation process going on in the Ministry… It will go next week to the Cabinet,” Nath said, adding that it could not be taken up last week as he was not in the city.

Arguing that the proposed package was “absolutely independent of WTO talks”, he said India had very old ties with the African countries, which would be

major beneficiaries of the package. At WTO, he said, India was waiting for the US proposals on agriculture for progress in the ongoing talks at Geneva.

Under the proposed package for LDCs, the government is likely to allow duty-free and quota-free import of a host of products from countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The package, which has been in the works for many months and has periodically been reviewed by prime minister Manmohan Singh, was listed on the agenda for cabinet meeting last week but was later deferred.

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The package in its original form entailed zero duty import of a host of industrial products and lower duty import of farm goods. Sources also said that India was waiting for the outcome of ongoing round of WTO talks, before announcing the package for LDCs.

Moreover, the country also feared that the US or EU could also announce package for the LDCs to woo them at WTO.