Perishable items: Trans loading, partial shipment allowed under APTTA

Following the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, the government has allowed ''trans loading'' and ''partial shipment'' of the perishable items including wheat, sugar, rice, beef, pulses and other edible products of the Afghan transit cargo for meeting immediate needs of the Afghan people during Ramzan.
Official sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that the facility of the ''trans loading'' and ''partial shipment'' of the perishable items would remain valid for 30 days to facilitate the Afghan importers. In compliance of directive of the President of Pakistan, the FBR had immediately instructions to the concerned Collectors of Customs for clearance of the containers comprising of perishable goods on fast track basis. All the containers containing perishable goods have been cleared by the Pakistani customs authorities and all Goods Declarations (GDs) of the Afghan containers have been processed on top priority basis.
At the same time, Pakistani customs authorities have also allowed Pakistani Trucks to carry Afghan fruits and vegetables to Wagha Border for subsequent transfer to India through Indian vehicles. This has been due to the inability of Afghan transporters to enter into Pakistan in the absence of Temporary Admission Document and bank guarantees against value of transport issued by the Afghan customs.
When asked about the reasons for delay in transportation of Afghan cargoes imported under Afghan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) from Karachi to Torkham and Chaman, official said that delay in transportation of Afghan consignments was mainly due to the delay in the implementation of necessary actions by Afghan Customs. Under the APTTA Afghan trucks have been allowed to enter into Pakistan with furnishing of guarantee equivalent to the value of the trucks and Temporary Admission Document (TAD) for entry into Pakistan and offload their export consignments at Wagha Border. However, Afghan Customs have not issued Temporary Admission Document to Afghan transporters. Similarly, Afghan Authorities have not been able to put in place the issuance and deposition of bank guarantee against the Afghan trucks.
Sources further said that the Afghanistan Customs have not yet finalised or notified their Customs Rules for proper regulations of the trade related operations of the APTTA within Afghanistan. In this regard, the Afghan side has not put in place the mechanism of submission of the banks guarantee against the Afghan trucks to enter into Pakistan for carrying Afghan consignments imported under APTTA. Similarly, Afghan authorities have not been able to issue Temporary Admission Document to the Afghan transporters to enter in to Pakistan and carry goods imported via Pakistan for Afghanistan. When Pakistani transporters try to carry goods into Afghanistan, the Afghan transporters agitated which created difficulty for Pakistani transporters to deliver Afghan consignments in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, Pakistan Customs department has made significant progress in resolving the issues relating to quick transportation of Afghan consignments to Afghanistan especially the transportation of perishable items. There is no pendency at Pakistan''s ports and all the consignments of perishable items have been cleared by the Pakistani customs authorities.