The government asserted on Monday that there would be no let up in fulfilling its obligations to the World Trade Organisation including further liberalisation of trade and dismantling of quantitative restrictions.

"We will comply with all our obligations (to WTO). It's a continuous process," Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley said after presenting the Exim Policy for 2003-04.    

Though the quantitative restrictions have been fully lifted in 2001-02, keeping in line with the WTO deadline, India maintained the restrictions on some items, which were permissible under the multilateral trading system.

These too were being lifted in a phased manner and this year's policy removed the restriction on 69 items including animal products, vegetables and spices, anti-biotics and films.

Besides, the policy also announced lifting of QRs on five export items -- paddy except basmati, cotton linters, rare earth, silk cocoons and family planning devices except condoms.

Jaitely said India would take up problems faced by the service sector professionals in their movement to other countries at the services negotiations at the WTO.

Replying to a query on the problems faced by professionals regarding visa, he said, it was a problem both at bilateral negotiations and at service sector negotiations in WTO.

The Exim Policy 2003-04