SCCI apprises CCC about business community issues

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: A businessmen delegation led by President of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Fuad Ishaq held a meeting with Chief Collector Customs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Saeed Akram. During the meeting, the SCCI chief in detail apprised chief collector custom KP, Saeed Akram about customs clearing agents and gave a number of proposals for their amicable resolution.

The delegation consisted of the Frontier Customs Agents Association (FCAA) president Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, General Secretary Wahid Bacha and other members of the association along with traders, exporters and importers, said in a press release here on Thursday.

Collector Customs Enforcement Peshawar Khawaja Khurram was also present in the meeting. Chief Collector Customs Saeed Akram took keen interest in issues of custom clearing agents and traders’ community. Fuad Ishaq thanked the chief collector customs for assurance toward early resolution of issues that were faced by the business community. In the meeting both sides have agreed to establish a close liaison and devise a joint mechanism for prompt resolution of issues of the traders’ community.

Earlier, FCAA delegation headed by its president Ziaul Haq Sarhadi held a meeting with SCCI chief Fuad Ishaq at the chamber house. Members of the FCAA delegation include general secretary Wahid Bacha, vice president Imtiaz Ali, executive members Muhammad Javed, Noor Azam, Nizam Khan, Tariq Iqbal, Mansoor Ahmad, Adnan Akhtar, Mujeebur Rehman.

The delegation informed the SCCI chief about issues of customs clearing agents, traders, exporters, and importers owing to new policies enforced by customs enforcement and appraisement departments. Fuad Ishaq expressed grave concern over increasing issues of customs clearing agents and traders community and stated that anti-trade policies were not in the interest of the country under the prevailing economic turmoil situation. He urged the customs and other authorities to facilitate traders by adopting business-friendly policies.

During the meeting, the SCCI chief instructed the chamber’s relevant department to highlight issues of clearing agents/ traders before the customs high officials through writing letters and other means of communication in order to resolve them promptly. Earlier, FCAA president Ziaul Haq Sarhadi congratulated newly elected President Fuad Ishaq and senior vice president Sanaullah Khan and expressed hope that they along with other members of the cabinet will play a vital role in resolution of business community issues. Sarhadi on the occasion made demands for launching a cargo train from Peshawar to Karachi, resumption of Goods in Transit to Afghanistan (GITA) service and complete operationalization of the Aza Khel Dry. The chamber president agreed with proposals of the FCAA delegation and assured to take initiatives in light of these recommendations to resolve all issues on priority basis.