Summit of northern states on trade

Chandigarh, Apr 25 (UNI) The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has advocated a North Indian Common Economy (NICE) to remove barriers to the inter-state movements of goods.

Deliberating with this viewpoint, the PHDCCI has convened a Summit of Chief Secretaries of the northern states here on April 29.

In order to initiate a dialogue on these concerns and to carve out an action plan for achieving North Indian Common Economy (NICE), PHDCCI is organising a Summit of Chief Secretaries on April 29, 2006.

Various issues like the trade in agri-produce in India, characterised by diversity of controls by multiple authorities at different levels, cumbersome and outdated legislation and restrictions on inter-State and sometime inter-district movement of goods would be taken up for discussions at the Summit, a PHDCCI spokesman here said.

PHDCCI President Sushma Berlia has said in a statement issued here that all barriers to interstate movement of agri-produce like variation in rates of taxation, standards and procedures be made uniform to achieve NICE.

It may be worthwhile to take into account the European experience for understanding the political processes and economic measures that led to adoption of a common/single market in Europe, she said.

''India, with its current fiscal and administrative barriers on movement of goods between the states, can be termed as a common market in European Union terminology, once these restrictions are removed,'' she said.

She pointed out that while VAT has been introduced in all states of northern region except UP, the Central Sales Tax still prevailed in the region.

UNI PS MP BST1904