F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Traders here on Thursday urged the government to give extension in cash-on-counter facility for next six months to carry out smooth bilateral trade with Afghanistan and onward regional countries.
Declaration policy should be implemented in true letter and spirit at borders in light of the decision of State Bank of Pakistan, they demanded.
Traders were annoyed that the government’s decision regarding increasing the number of export items to Afghanistan from four to 16 in Pakistani currency to enhance the quantum of trade with the neighbouring Afghanistan was yet not materialized that have been causing major irritants to carry out smooth mutual trade with the neighbouring country. The Businessmen called the banking channels should be made fully functional between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The issues were raised during a joint meeting of Dry-port, Pakistan Railways and Land Route Export Standing Committees of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held here at the Chamber’s House.
Besides, the SCCI’s President Hasnain Khurshid Ahmad, senior vice president Imran Khan Mohmand, Chairman the Chamber’s Standing Committee on Dry-port and Pakistan Railways and former SVP Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, and Chairman the SCCI’s Standing Committee on Land Route Export Imtiaz Ahmad Ali, Divisional Transportation Officer Pakistan Railways, Marina Ateeq, CMI PR Muhammad Saddiq, Additional Collector Customs Dr Wajid Ali, Deputy Director State Bank Peshawar, Amir Mumtaz, members of the standing committees, a large number of traders, mainly importers, exporters were present during the meeting.
Hasnain Khurshid urged the government to give extension in cash-on-counter facility for next six months to carry out smooth trade with Afghanistan and onward regional countries.
He emphasized that declaration policy should be implemented in true letter and spirit at borders in light of the decision of the State Bank of Pakistan.
He also called for implementation of the government’s decision regarding increasing the number of export items to Afghanistan from four to 16 in Pakistani currency to enhance the quantum of trade with neighbouring Afghanistan.
Ziaul Haq Sarhadi in his opening remarks demanded to make proper functional Azakel Dry-port, restoration of Goods in Transit to Afghanistan (GITA) service, relaunch of export/ cargo train Peshawar and serious initiatives to resolve traders’ issues.
Mr Sarhadi said Pakistan Railways, a national entity, had always played a pivotal role in boosting up the national economy, facilitating traders’ community and collecting hefty amounts on the head of freight, which was added to the national kitty.
However, he noted after the closure of the freight train from Peshawar, Pakistan Railways was not only losing huge revenue, but it was also elevating difficulties for the trading community.
The body’s chairman urged the federal government and Minister for Railways, Azam Swati to take pragmatic steps to make Azakhel Dry-port proper functional as well as ensure provision of facilities to businessmen, doing business with Afghanistan.
During a questions and answers session, Imtiaz Ahmad Ali informed the house that the government through State Bank of Pakistan had issued a notification regarding declaration of dollars at the border.
However, he complained some commercial banks have been reluctant to implement this decision with letter and spirit and used delaying tactics, which has caused enormous difficulties to traders on both sides of the border. Besides, he added exports also being hurt with regional countries.
Similarly, Mr Ali said the government’s decision regarding increasing the number of export items to Afghanistan from four to 16 in Pakistani currency to enhance the quantum of trade with neighbouring Afghanistan was yet not materialized.
The body’s chairman emphasized that a concrete coordination system should be erected between relevant government institutions, particularly the Ministry of Commerce, State Bank of Pakistan and FBR in order to implement policies, orders and trade-facilitation initiatives with letter and spirit.
Later on, the SBP Deputy Director Peshawar responded to various queries of the business community and said that the Export to Afghanistan policy is in its final stage, which would be implemented very shortly. He added most of traders’ issues would be resolved after formal approval of the proposed policy and its implementation.
The senior official of the central bank assured that the issue of non-implementation of declaration by some commercial banks would be taken up with their high-ups to resolve the issue once for all.
Marina Ateeq and Dr Wajid Ali also spoke on the occasion and assured the participants to take every possible step to facilitate Pak-Afghan trade and resolve traders’ issues on priority basis.
