Director Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi has asked the bureaucracy of both Pakistan and Afghanistan to review bilateral trade policies including Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) to promote trade between both brotherly neighbouring countries. In a statement issued here Saturday, he said that during current year bilateral trade between both countries under transit trade had further declined to US$1.6 billion while incentives offered by India for Afghan traders through Chabahar Port is likely to cause further cut in the transit trade.
He said that problems in bilateral trade between both countries have increased at all level and business community on both side of the border is confused regarding increase in facilities for transit trade at Chaman and Torkham under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Sarhadi, who is also a former senior vice president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) urged the leadership of both countries to keep apart political and trade related issues and remove hurdles at different levels. He said that such steps will not only increase the volume of Pak-Afghan trade to US$7.5 billion but would also generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for 0.1 million Pakistanis and trade deficit could be easily arrested.
He said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan have signed UN Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR convention and provision of facilities under CPEC for Afghan Transit Trade can provide access to Central Asian Republics (CARs). The official of PAJCCI also called for the removal of hurdles in the bilateral trade activities between both countries through Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority, simplification of customs laws, cargo communication and review on Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).
He said that during the period from 2009 to 2012, Pak-Afghan bilateral trade declined by 46 per cent, but after the implementation of the new APTTA the volume of trade till the mid of 2014-15 had registered an increase of 65 per cent and reached to US$2.5 billion. But, later political tension, unfavourable conditions and growing Indian involvement in Afghan market resulted in decline of bilateral trade and now it had come down to US$1.6 billion.
He further said that now Afghanistan has opened second aerial corridor for India, which has established her direct trade flight link with Mumbai. He said that in the first flight of such kind Afghanistan transported 40-ton of fresh and dried fruits and herbs for medicinal purposes.
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