PM Imran gives directive for corruption-free transit trade

Orders commerce ministry to come up with comprehensive plan in three days

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday directed the Ministry of Commerce to come up with a comprehensive plan within three days to identify the administrative measures required to ensure corruption-free trade under the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade arrangement.

The prime minister gave the directive in a meeting held to review the issues related to the transit trade and to streamline the mechanism for ensuring optimum and mutually beneficial utilisation of the arrangement.

The premier stated that in view of the positive impact on socio-economic development in Afghanistan, the government of Pakistan was committed to facilitating transit trade with the landlocked neighbouring country.

However, he gave directives to ensure that the arrangement was not misused and did not hamper the growth of Pakistan’s industry.

Reiterating that the growth of industry and exports was the key priority of the government, the premier underscored the need for streamlining the transit trade arrangement, in coordination with the Afghan authorities, in order to create mutually beneficial conditions for the two countries and the region.

He also emphasised the need for employing technology to avoid misuse of the mechanism by vested interests.

He directed the Ministry of Commerce to present a comprehensive plan within three days by taking into account all the operational aspects and identifying the required administrative measures, so as to ensure that a transparent corruption-free arrangement capable of serving the intended purpose was put in place.

In the meeting, Commerce Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera gave a briefing on the existing setup under the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Agreement.

He highlighted the various issues being encountered at the operational level including the smuggling of goods back into Pakistan’s markets, which adversely affected the country’s industry.

The meeting was attended by IT Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Maritime Affairs Minister Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant to PM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, State Bank Governor Reza Baqir, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood and other senior officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2019.

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