Singapore remains committed to working with India to conclude the second review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Ceca), the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said yesterday.

The ministry also said it has not received any notification from India that the review is being put on hold, in response to media queries.

A report in The Times of India newspaper on Monday quoted unnamed sources as saying that India has put the review on hold in response to restrictions on work visas for Indian software professionals bound for Singapore.

"Singapore has not received any official notification from the Indian government that the review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement is put on hold," an MTI spokesman said yesterday.

"We remain committed to work with India to conclude the second Ceca review."

Ceca is a free trade pact between the two nations, which covers tariff concessions, merchandise trade, trade in services and investments.

The second review, under negotiation for more than six years, is meant to look at areas where the agreement could possibly be expanded.

Rupali Karekar