Via Torkham, Kurram Agency: Import of fresh fruit from Afghanistan jumps 46%

Duties and taxes on imports increased 182% compared to previous year

PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s import of fresh fruits from Afghanistan via Torkham and Kurram Agency has substantially increased during the first eight months of the current fiscal year, amounting to 245,000 tons.

According to a press release issued here by the customs department on Thursday, fresh fruit imports amounted to 168,000 tons in the comparable period of 2014-15, but increased 46% the following year.

As a result, the value of import of fresh fruit from Afghanistan has increased to Rs11 billion as against Rs5 billion in the last fiscal year.

Duties and taxes on the import of fresh fruit have also jumped from Rs643 million to Rs1.8 billion during the current fiscal year, reflecting an increase of 182% over the last year.

Among the imports, grapes remained the top commodity as around 162,000 tons were imported, an increase of 42%.

The import of apple has also witnessed a tremendous increase, jumping from 8,000 to 32,000 tons.

Similarly, the import of pomegranate also registered an increase from 8,000 tons to 11,000 tons this year.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s exports from Peshawar to Afghanistan increased by 13%.

The export of banana showed an increase of 45% and jumped from 32,000 tons to 46,000 metric tons.

The export of fresh fruit from Pakistan to Afghanistan via Torkham has increased from 73,000 tons to 196,000 tons. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2016.

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