Pakistan has offered, albeit conditionally, to allow Afghan cargo vehicles to Wagah with devising mechanism and giving similar dispensation for its access to Sher Khan Bandar of Herat province for linkage with Central Asian Republics and Europe. The conditional offer was during the recent Technical Meeting on Economic Cooperation Between Pakistan and Afghan held in Islamabad with Advisor to PM, Razzaq Dawood in the chair last month. Beside, the trade authorities of both countries, the representatives of the business community of both neighbouring countries also attended.
During the meeting, the Afghan side requested provision of access to its trucks to Attari port of India to which Pakistani side explained that since access to Indian port of Attari requires a trilateral agreement among three countries, and there is no such agreement among India, Afghanistan and Pakistan currently, hence it cannot be decided at a bilateral level, as per Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).
Similarly, Pakistani trucks are also off-loaded at Torkham, at the most Jalalabad and not allowed to have access to ports of Central Asian states, while the trilateral transit trade agreements offered by Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan are also not being negotiated. Both sides have agreed to share a mechanism by diplomatic channels.
During the meeting, the Afghan side also requested the rights of the modification of company status, updating the system in respect of changes in the characteristics of company, amend any data entry error, administer the license validity option in WeBOC system.
Facilitation in filing GD in WeBOC system irrespective of expiry date of Afghan importers' licence, the GD shall be filled and user ID and password shall not be blocked by customs authorities at Karachi port.
The Pakistani side had explained that these issues had already been discussed in a meeting held in June 2019 between the customs officials of both the countries. However, the Pakistani side agreed to look into the matter and expedite improvements in the WeBOC system and share a response through diplomatic channels within one month.
Both countries also discussed the establishment of an implementation and follow-up mechanism on issues related to Trade, Investment, Customs and Transit and jointly agreed to establish a Working Group on Trade Investment, Customs and Transit under Joint Economic Commission Framework.
Both sides will share Terms of References (TORs) and composition of the Working Group within a period of one month through diplomatic channels.
During the meeting, the Afghan side also requested that their transit cargo shall be allowed to have the option either to carry their goods to final destination with the containers from the country of origin or shall destuff the cargo and load on another container at the Karachi port.
The Pakistani side agreed to examine the proposal at Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)/Director General (DG) Transit Trade, Karachi level and share the response through diplomatic channels one month.
To the request of amendments in shipping documents by customs authorities in Karachi, the Pakistani side agreed to address the issue and said that the provision already exists in the Customs Act and provision of immediate facilitation.
Similarly, to the request of the Afghan side for the settlement of the issue of partial shipment, to which Pakistani side agreed that Customs Rules provide that partial shipment can be allowed on case to case basis by Additional Director, Transit Trade Directorate, Karachi and assured facilitation.
The meeting also discussed the request of Additional Free Demurrage Days by Afghan side at Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) port.
The Pakistani side said that the matter was already discussed and agreed in the meeting held on June 18, 2019 and the FBR has already taken up the matter for decrease of demurrage charges and extension of days free of demurrage with the KICT. The Pakistani side further vowed that it would take up the matter with Ministry of Maritime Affairs and sharing of response within one month.
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