The tussle between the Home Ministry and the Commerce Ministry on the latter’s ambitious proposal to waive the visa requirements for business visitors and tourists from 18 key countries, including China, reached the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday.
The PMO held an inter-ministerial meeting to review a Cabinet note from the Commerce Ministry on dispensing with the requirements for business visitors and tourists from countries belonging to BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.
The Home Ministry is learnt to have informed the PMO that formulating visa policies was its domain, and the Cabinet note was “untenable”, a senior government official told The Hindu .
The Home Ministry’s main objection is giving waiver to Chinese citizens as part of the RCEP-BRICS package, another official of the Home Ministry said.
On May 6, The Hindu reported the move to revamp the visa regime, and that it was red-flagged by the Home Ministry.
The Commerce Ministry has made the proposal to boost foreign exchange earnings as well as the NDA government’s flagship initiatives such as Make in India, Digital India and Smart Cities.
On the agenda was a proposal to relax or waive visa requirements for those visiting India for business, tourism, healthcare and education, official sources said. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Ministries of Commerce, Home and External Affairs.
Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: “Each Ministry concerned has to give its response [to the proposal]. We [Commerce Ministry] want to boost services trade.”
Liberalised visaThe sources said a liberalised visa regime would indirectly help the flagship programmes through more foreign experts and businessmen visiting India to share their expertise and start new ventures.
The potential business and foreign exchange earnings that India is losing due to its “complicated and restrictive” visa procedures are put at $80 billion a year, they said. The initial plan was to extend these concessions to 18 countries belong to BRICS and the Asia Pacific Group that is part of the proposed RCEP agreement.
Now, it has been proposed that the benefits of a liberalised visa regime be extended to all countries, an official said. However, it is learnt that the Home Ministry has reservations about giving visa waiver to Chinese and Pakistani citizens because of security concerns.
Despite adverse reports from intelligence agencies, New Delhi recently extended electronic tourist visa facility to China, though Beijing is yet to reciprocate the gesture.
A senior official of the Commerce Ministry said: “We need a change in the mindset. Waiting for reciprocity on matters of visa is a thing of the past. We [India] also need to push our interests, earn more foreign exchange through these initiatives and ensure that programmes such as Make in India, Digital India and Smart Cities are successful.” Another worry is India’s low-ranking in the passports of countries by their total visa-free score. In the Global Passport Power Rank 2016 put out by Arton Capital’s Passport Index, India was ranked 75th, along with Niger, Turkmenistan, Haiti and Egypt. Afghanistan was ranked last, at 92nd. In the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index 2016 (that ranks countries according to the travel freedom their citizens enjoy), India was ranked 85th, along with Mali and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan was ranked last, at 104th. The meeting convened by the PMO also discussed ways to improve India’s ranking.
