Finance ministers meet: Kabul welcomes double taxation treaty offer

Dr Zakhiwal invites Pakistani construction companies to undertake projects in Afghanistan.

ISLAMABAD:

Afghanistan on Sunday welcomed Pakistan’s proposal for a double taxation treaty between the two countries to encourage private sector investment.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had taken up the matter at a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Dr Hazrat Omer Zakhiwal along with their teams here at the Finance Ministry.

Dr Zakhiwal termed the proposal a positive step for increasing bilateral trade and economic relations.

The Afghan minister said that Pakistani construction companies had experience in undertaking huge infrastructure projects. He hoped that they would avail the opportunity to work in Afghanistan, where the government had launched huge communications projects.

Both sides agreed that they have to overcome hurdles to exploit the tremendous economic potential, which presents opportunities to enhance economic cooperation, trade and greater connectivity between the two countries.

They also held discussions on cooperation in areas of communications, railway, Afghan Transit Trade Agreement and power sector.

He invited Ishaq Dar to visit Afghanistan. It was decided that the Pak-Afghan Joint Economic Commission would meet in Kabul this October.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2013.