Economic cooperation in the SAARC region : potential,constraints and policies.

The book discusses the growth and structure of trade. Joint ventures and technology transfers among the SAARC countries. It identifies the potential areas of cooperation in trade. Production and services and recommends a number of policy initiatives to eliminate the constraints in cooperation. It makes many practical suggestions in regard to payments and clearance

arrangements, strengthening of cooperation in development finance, improving the information flows and evolving a preferential trade arrangement by a phased programme of eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers and discriminatory practices in the region. It recommends the formation of a Regional Council of Development Financing Institutions with a view to promoting regional projects. A multilateral agreement for avoidance of double taxation of income for mutual transactions, harmonisation of procedures and documentation, formation of a SAARC Chamber of Commerce and a shipping conference, strengthening of the infrastructure for entrepreneurship development and small scale sectors, coordination among the state trading organisations in the region, cooperation in the banking sectors, convention of antidumping of goods are some of the other major recommendations of the study.

While recognising the formation of monetary union as a distant possibility, the study recommends varieties of steps aimed at evolving a Customs Union in the near future.