The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has constituted a nine-member committee to frame rules to implement the newly signed Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APPTA), official sources told Business Recorder.
According to official estimates, the volume of informal trade between the two countries is about $2 billion annually, made possible through connivance of officials deputed at borders and ports. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is to visit Kabul on Saturday to exchange instruments of ratification, after which the Washington-pushed pact will be operational.
The PM will also discuss issues related to smuggling and progress on war on terror. FBR''s committee comprises of the following officers: (i) Amir Khan Marwat, Chief Collector of Customs (South/ DG Valuation) ;(ii) Najib R Abbasi, Collector Customs, Lahore and ;( iii) Tanvir Ahmad, Additional Collector, MCC (Exports), Karachi.
The committee has also decided to take on board the following officers: (i) Gul Rehman, Additional Collector, MCC, Appraisement, Customs House Karachi, (ii) Abdul Waheed Marwat, Deputy Collector, Office of the Chief Collector of Customs (South) Karachi; (iii) Engr Habib Ahmed, Assistant Collector, MCC, PaCCS, Custom House, Karachi; (iv) Ali Zeb Khan, Assistant Collector, MCC (Exports), Karachi; (v) Amjad-ur-Rehman, Deputy Tourkhum, MCC, Peshawar; (vi) Dr Noman Wazir, Deputy Collector, Afghan Transit Dry Port, MCC, Peshawar;(vii) Afnan Khan, Assistant Collector, Custom House Chaman; (viii) PA Afghan Transit Trade, MCC (Appraisement), Custom House, Karachi and ; (ix) Tariq Aziz, A O, MCC, Port Bin Qasim, Karachi.
Sources said that the committee is scheduled to meet on December 7, 2010 to finalise the rules for implementation of APTTA. The meeting will consider trade flow chart at each stage of the movement of goods, from entry to exit points, for the Collectorates and ensure that documentation is observed at each stage.
All Afghan transit goods shall be transported in: (a) containers of international specification; (b) for a period of one year, the cargo shall be allowed on immediately acceptable and verifiable standard of sealable trucks; (c) oversize and bulk cargo (not imported in containers like shipload) shall be transported in open trucks or other transport units; and (d) exports of perishable goods in transit (like fruit and vegetable, etc, shall be transported in open trucks or other transport units.
With regard to visa issues, both countries have decided that the drivers and cleaners shall be allowed to cross border on permits, identified by the biometrics device installed at the entry points that will be established by the two countries. In case of failure to agree on a common name of third arbitrator, two names of non-nationals and non-residents shall be proposed by each side. The third arbitrator shall be selected by drawing lots from the four proposed names.
According to APTTA, the following measures shall be adopted to tackle the issue of unauthorised flow-back (smuggling) to Pakistan: (a) installing tracking device on transport units; (b) customs-to-customs information-sharing (IT data and others); (c) provide encashable financial guarantees through authorised brokers on Afghan transit goods for an amount equivalent to the import levies in Pakistan, which shall be released after the goods cross the border; and (d) any other measure to be taken by Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Co-ordination Authority (APTCA).