Saarc CCI for collective efforts against coronavirus

ISLAMABAD: Welcoming Pakistan’s donation of $3 million to the emergency fund for the Saarc nations to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) President-designate Iftikhar Ali Malik Friday called for closer cooperation among the national health emergency agencies and a long-term economic recovery plan for the region.

Talking to a traders delegation led by the internationally acclaimed SME expert Rehmat Ullah Javed here, Malik suggested that the Saarc should adopt a shared telemedicine framework to provide health care to remote areas," says a press release.

He said this was good sign that all the SAARC countries were ready now to fight this lethal coronavirus outbreak collectively and he also appreciated Pakistan’s suggestion to hold a Saarc health ministers video conference to enhance cooperation and proposed establishing a working group of national authorities to exchange information and data in real time.

Sri Lanka reiterated the need to work together, create social awareness, and have one central depository to disseminate information.

He said South Asians had long suffered from intraregional tariff and nontariff barriers that make it difficult to move goods and people across borders.

“Home to one-fourth of the world’s poorest people, the region has disproportionately high trade costs, poor logistics infrastructure, and inefficient trade facilitation.

He said the promise of regional trade in South Asia estimates that the trade within the region could be worth $67 billion rather than its recent value of $23 billion.

Iftikhar Malik said the region’s countries now had an opportunity to come together to remove tariffs on medical devices, protective gear, disinfectants, and soap, and they have started to do so.

“They must also act to avoid restrictive actions by importers and exporters that could reduce global supply and affect critical supply chains, especially tariffs on food and other necessities,” he added.