Pak-Afghan bilateral trade: Traders present comprehensive proposals

PESHAWAR: Traders presented comprehensive proposals to remove hurdles in Pak-Afghan bilateral trade and transit trade.

A delegation of traders, headed by Fazal Moqeem Khan, president of the SCCI held a meeting with Chief Collector Customs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Peshawar Jamil Nasir held at Model Custom House. The meeting agreed to establish close coordination and relations between SCCI and Customs Office to speed up the consignments clearance process at Azakhel dry port, making Peshawar dryport functional and issues-allied with cross border trade.

Senior vice president of the SCCI Abdul Jalil Jan, former president Faiz Muhammad Faizi, members of executive committee of the chamber Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Aftab Iqbal, Ashfaq Ahmad along with traders and others were present on the occasion. The meeting was also attended by Collector Custom (Appraisement) Mateen Alam, Collector Custom (Enforcement) Ziaul Shams and Addl Collector Customs Torkham Shakir Muhammad.

Traders apprised the meeting about slow process of goods consignments clearance, hurdles in Pak-Afghan mutual trade, transit trade, operational matters, customs squads, and other problems. The business community stressed the need of strengthening collaboration between SCCI and Custom Dept. to address all issues with mutual initiatives and gave comprehensive proposals in this regard.

In the meeting, the Chief Collector Customs keenly focused on issues that had been highlighted by traders and issued instructions to officials concerned on the spot for addressing all grievances and genuine demands.

Jamil Nasir said Customs department is proactively taking steps for facilitating cross border trade and speeding up goods consignments clearance process through using modern methods and technique. Chief Collector Customs emphasized establishing strong contacts and holding regular meetings with SCCI to address cross border trade and export-related issues promptly.

It came in notice during meeting that clearance process of many goods consignments were delayed owing to non-filing of Goods Documents (GDs). Therefore, the meeting asked traders to immediately file GDs to complete clearance of the pending shipments forthwith.

Chief Collector Customs apprised the meeting about the figure of shipments, which clearance is delayed due to untimely non-filing GDs and ordered for prompt initiatives to accelerate process and remove hurdles in mutual trade and transit trade. He assured Customs squads will carry out information-based action and directed the customs squad to wear uniform during the duty hours. He said an online monitoring system of customs squads will be launched at Model Customs House Peshawar. He said zero tolerance is against corruption and made it clear that evidence-based actions would be conducted against officials/personnel.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024