Visa exemption issue may come up in discussion

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NEW DELHI, Apr 23 (bdnews24.com): The smaller nations of the eight-member SAARC may push for expanding the bloc's visa exemption scheme during the Thimphu summit on Apr 28-29.
Despite the strained relations between India and Pakistan that might cast clouds over the ensuing 16th summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Bangladesh, Nepal and a few other members have been seeking expansion of the visa exemption scheme that the regional grouping had put in place in 1992.
India and Pakistan are very wary about the proposal though- apparently for their own security concerns.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SAARC CCI) have jointly prepared a draft proposal for expansion of the visa exemption scheme within the bloc.
At present, only the presidents of the national trade bodies of all the SAARC countries are entitled to avail the benefits of the visa exemption scheme.
The ADB and SAARC CCI proposed that "access should be widened to make it easier for business persons outside the entitled persons' list to avail benefits of visa exemptions".
They recommended special provisions for "fast track applications" for the private sector by facilitating endorsements or certification from national trade bodies and business associations.
They proposed that the maximum number of visa exemption stickers to be issued by each member country every year should be raised from the existing 100 to at least 200.
The ADB and SAARC CCI stressed that extending the period of validity of visa exemptions would give businesses wider berth in long-term projects.
To make the visa exemptions more flexible, they suggested three steps-raising maximum permissible duration of stay from the existing one month to three months, extending sticker validity to three years from the date of issue and dropping restrictions on movement to specific cities.
They also proposed use of full-fledged cards with built-in bar-coding or security chips for business travellers instead of the stickers for implementing the visa exemption scheme to address the concerns about cross-border security and facilitate cross-border movement.
Both Indian and Pakistani governments are not enthusiastic about expanding the visa exemption scheme due mainly to security concerns and particularly in the wake of the post 26/11 diplomatic chill.