Director General of Transit Trade Dr Sarfraz Ahmad on Friday visited the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and briefed the members about the Directorate's function. Dr Sarfraz Ahmad said that since the inter-provincial trade belongs to the federal government, therefore, infrastructure development goes to the federal government which is responsible for development of infrastructure such as motorways, highways and railways.
He said that Pakistan, as an important logistics hub for transit trade will undoubtedly bring prosperity to South Asia along the trade routes and beyond. He said there area to economic development better than good transportation networks with good transit rules and an ability to transport goods and people effectively.
The Directorate General of Transit Trade serves to facilitate bilateral trade between Pakistan and its neighbouring land-locked countries, thus converting Pakistan into a "land bridge" between South Asia and Central Asia. Transit through Pakistan is currently the only viable option for Afghanistan, and both countries have signed Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), he said.
Deputy Director, Ministry of Commerce Shahbaz Latif said that responsibility of Ministry of Communication is to ensure trafficable infrastructure. The Ministry is taking all measures to improve the infrastructure, he said.
LCCI Vice President Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad said misuse of Afghan Transit Trade through smuggling, under-invoicing and other means still remains a big issue which is hampering our competitiveness. This misuse can only be minimized through extensive use of technology. Pakistan still lags behind in terms of swift handling of transit containers.
The excessive number of physical inspections on the containers results in delays and prompts the importers and exporters to use other routes for trade, he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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