While condemning Nato attack on Pak forces and calling for starting work on Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Wednesday made it clear on the visiting USAID team to ensure equal treatment to Pakistan in MFN scenario.
The LCCI Acting President Kashif Younis Meher was talking to a four-member USAID team that visited LCCI to discuss Pak-India trade. Former KCCI President Qaiser Ahmad Sheikh and SAARC Chamber Vice President Iftikhar Ali Malik also spoke on the occasion. Acting President LCCI said that the LCCI was in favour of granting MFN to India but it wanted India to dismantle all Pakistan-specific Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) first as things look very rosy today might turn a nightmare if extra care was not taken while making decisions of national importance.
He told the USAID team that the infrastructure available at Wagah and Khokhrapar border is insufficient to cater to the needs therefore the infrastructure should be upgraded in consultation with the private sector. He said that there should be a proper shed facility available for the Pakistani exporters so that they could be able to secure their valuable consignments from the harms caused by the climate change. A state-of-the-art computerised weigh bridge is also the need of the hour, he added.
Meher said that undue long time for clearance of shipments, insufficient number of trucks carrying goods across the borders and high loading and unloading service charges are the other factors affecting adversely the trade process. Meanwhile, the USAID team that was comprised of Mohammad Suleuman, Sardar Humyun, Akbar Durrani and Zyna Gillani assured that all the LCCI suggestions would be forwarded to the concerned quarters in the shape of a report.
Comments
Comments are closed.