Another anti-trade action

Govt must avoid protectionist measures

The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry last week issued a statement to the effect that all imports of paper products — from newsprint to letter paper — will require pre-registration. From October 1, according to the new requirements, imports will be subject to a Paper Import Monitoring System, which will require importers to register themselves in a manner similar to systems that have been put into place in the past for steel and coal. There can be little justification for this return to the licence-quota raj in yet another industry. It is yet another step backward for India towards