Imports from Afghanistan: Chaman Chamber urges government to amend Import Policy Order

Chaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has urged the federal government to amend Import Policy Order (IPO) to facilitate imports from Afghanistan besides allowing Chaman and Torkham importers to import under Custom Green Channel as in practice in Karachi.
In a letter to Secretary Commerce , Younus Dagha, President CCCI Jamal-ud-Din has stated that importers and traders of Chaman, bordering Afghanistan is facing issues and difficulties in imports from Afghanistan of dry/fresh fruits, pulses, herbs as per part III of Import Policy Order 2016: "it is not possible to provide all these certificates of Afghan imports and to provide from Chaman plant quarantine office/laboratory to issue test reports of perishable goods on priority basis as the goods are under heavy transport detentions charges and by nature perishable".
Dagha argued further that dry/fresh fruits, pulses, herbs are allowed and freely importable from Afghanistan under Schedule V of Pakistan Custom tariff against Pak Rupees and only a single country is on the list of Schedule V due to relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and to promote the legal trade between two countries.
Chaman Chamber in its letter has requested federal government to amend SRO 1067(1)/2017, part III of import policy order of 2016 for imports from Afghanistan, besides allowing Chaman and Torkham importers to import under Custom Green Channel as per current practice of Karachi Custom Collectorates where tea, dry fruits, fresh fruits, herbs and spices are being cleared without required certificates or release order from plant quarantine.
Sources in Commerce Ministry told this scribe that these issues have thoroughly been discussed at a high level meeting on Afghanistan presided over by Secretary Commerce last week. Secretary Commerce has hinted the removal of Regulatory Duty on at least four items which are Afghanistan specific if Kabul reciprocates.
Meanwhile on December 226, 2017, Asif Khan Pakistan''s Commercial Counselor stationed in Consulate General Pakistan Kandahar, in a letter to Director General, Department of Plant Protection, Karachi stated that the new import policy measures provides that import of 851 products listed in the SRO will be allowed subject to inspection of release order from Department of Plant Protection(DPP).
According to the Commercial Counselor, the new regulation necessitate presence of requisite personnel of DPP on the authorised entry exit points on Pak-Afghan border at Chaman, Torkham and Ghulam Khan, adding that this is however not the case.
In his letter, he further states that Pakistan Customs in Quetta and Chaman have informed that DPP personnel are not available on the border to "inspect" and issue ''release order''. Accordingly, import of apple consignments from Afghanistan have been stalled by customs. In the past one week several traders'' delegations have approached his office complaining that Pakistan customs has now asked the traders not to bring their apple consignments to Chaman border till arrival of DPP personnel to carry out inspection for quarantine purposes.
According to the Commercial Counselor, the problem has given rise to unrest among Afghan exporters of apple who are also importing kinnows, banana and fresh vegetables from Pakistan.
He further wrote that the non-availability of DPP staff at Afghan border, therefore, needs a quick resolution to avoid the potential negative impact on export of Pakistani kinnows and bananas to Afghanistan, adding that any delay in the matter may also tempt the Afghan government to retaliatory measures against import of Pakistani products.
In the past few days, Commercial Counselor claimed, he discussed the issue several times with Pak-Custom at Chaman and Quetta. The Customs categorically informed him that they are unable to clear apple consignments from Afghanistan without mandatory inspection and release order issued by the DPP for each consignment. They further advised that the issue may be taken up with the relevant authorities in Islamabad.