Pakistani customs authorities have reduced the number of Goods Declarations (GDs) from nine to six for the importers of Afghan transit goods and allowed transportation of perishable commodities such as fruits and vegetables, etc, in open trucks or other transport under the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Rules.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday that the Afghan Transit Trade Rules 2011 of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) have been amended through a notification to reduce the number of GDs required for transportation of transit goods under the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).
The Board has amended certain provisions of the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Rules, which are directly in clash with the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). The definition of the "customs security" has been revised under the amended rules. The "customs security" means en-cashable financial guarantee, acceptable to Customs, submitted by the traders or through their authorised brokers, on transit goods, for an amount equivalent to the import levies of the host country, sources said.
An amendment has been made in the rule relating to the ''Furnishing of Financial Guarantee''. Now, the amount of Customs security for transit operation shall be determined by the Apprising officer and Principal Appraiser of the office of departure (Customs port of entry) so that it covers all import levies.
Under the amended rules, the Original Copy of the GD would be the Importer''s copy which would be used for clearance of goods at the office of departure. The duplicate copy would be used in case the goods are imported at sea port, the Customs administration at the office of departure shall send copy to the office en route in Pakistan (Torkhum or Chaman) which shall be handed over to Afghan customs at the border for onward submission to the office of destination in Afghanistan. The office of destination shall send the GD back to the relevant Customs office of departure along with a copy of their own goods declaration filed with the office of destination duly completed and which shall bear the cross reference of Pakistan''s goods declaration, which shall be considered as cross border certificate and on the basis of which Customs security shall be released. In case the goods are imported at Border Customs Station and exported through sea port, the copy shall be sent by the office of departure to the Customs at sea port. This copy shall be returned to the office of departure after endorsement of mate receipt (MR) number and in case the goods are imported at Border Customs Station and exported through another Border Customs Station, this copy shall be returned to the office of departure after endorsement of "Crossed Border" by the appropriate customs officer.
Sources said that the triplicate copy would be used for the Afghan Transit Group office record at Office of departure and for audit purposes. The Quadruplicate copy would also be maintained in case the goods are imported at sea port, the copy shall be sent to Assistant Collector of Customs at the office en route for endorsement of "Crossed Border" stamp by Torkhum or Chaman Customs along with signatures and name stamp of the authorised officer. This copy shall also be endorsed by stamp and signature of Afghan Customs to confirm that the consignment has crossed the border. The Assistant or Deputy Collector of office en route shall send the copy to the office of departure within fifteen days of crossing the border. This copy shall be used for reconciliation and monitoring and in case goods are imported at Land Border Station this copy shall be sent to the office of departure after endorsement of MR number or "Crossed Border". This copy along with cross border certificate shall be used for reconciliation and monitoring.
The fifth copy is the carrier''s copy to be kept in the transport unit throughout its journey in transit. The sixth copy would be the copy of the concerned Regional Office of the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation, sources said.
Sources further said that the amended Rules have also specified a provision regarding scanning of containers. According to the amended rules, all containers of transit cargo shall be scanned, on availability of scanners, at the office of departure. The scanning at the office en route shall be done on the basis of risk management.
Under the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, Pakistani customs authorities are empowered to conduct physical examination of up to 5 percent of the Afghan containers. Contrary to this, 5 percent of the total Afghan consignments would be selected for physical examination under the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Rules. Legally, there is a major difference between these two provisions which was highlighted by the Afghan customs.
The Rules have now been made in line with the APTTA, sources added.Sources said that the FBR has also amended the customs rules to notify the revised routes to be taken for transportation of Afghan transit trade consignments to Afghanistan. The new routes are:
1. Karachi/Port Qasim - Hyderabad - Rotodero - D.G. Khan - D.I. Khan -Kohat - Azakhel - Peshawar - Jamrud Terminal - Torkham.
2. Karachi- Bela - Khuzdar - Kalat - Quetta - Chaman Terminal.
3. Karachi /Port Qasim - Hyderabad - Rotodero - D.G. Khan - D.I. Khan -Kohat - Bannu - Meran Shah - Ghulam Khan.
4. Gwadar - Pasni - Ormara - Liari - Khuzdar - Kalat - Quetta - Chaman - Terminal.
5. Gwadar - Turbat - Hoshab - Panjgur - Naag - Besima - Sorab - Kalat -Quetta - Chaman Terminal.
6. Gwadar - Pasni - Ormara - Liari - Karachi - Rotodero - D.I. Khan - Kohat - Peshawar - Jamrud Terminal -Torkham.
7. Gwadar - Pasni - Ormara - Liari - Karachi - Rotodero - D.I. Khan - Kohat - Bannu - Meran Shah - Ghulam Khan.
8. Torkham-Jamrud Terminal-Peshawar (Motorway M-1 )-Rawalpindi/ Islamabad (Motorway M-2) - Lahore - Wagha.
9. Khunjrab - Sost - Chilas - Mansehra - Hasanabdal - Peshawar - Jamrud Terminal - Torkham.
Sources added that Pakistan will facilitate Afghan exports to India through Wagha. Afghan trucks will be allowed access on designated routes up to Wagha. Afghan cargo will be off loaded on to Indian trucks back to back at Wagha and the trucks on return will not carry Indian exports.
The FBR has also revised the responsibilities of the bonded transport operators under the amended rules. The transport operator shall be responsible and bound to carry the goods to its destination without any delay and with utmost haste. The transport operator shall also be bound to deliver the bonded transit goods to its destination within the prescribed time limit, using the transport route, as notified by the Ministry of Communication, from time to time.