Promoting exports imperative for economic stability, says Qaiser

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said promoting exports was imperative for economic stability and development of the country and by virtue of its location, Afghanistan was a favourable export destination besides being at the transit route to the Central Asia.

He expressed this while chairing the appraisal meeting of the Executive Committee of the Pakistan Afghanistan Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG) to review the implementation of the decisions regarding Pak-Afghan trade and visa facilitation in the Parliament House on Wednesday.

The speaker stressed implementation of the recommendations of the executive committee for fully realising the export potential of the country.

A National Logistic Cell representative apprised the committee that 1,870 containers had been cleared enroute to Pak-Afghan trade per day due to deployment of extra personnel and speedy clearance of Afghanistan bound containers and the number would be enhanced up to 2,000 containers per day.

The speaker appreciated the performance of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Customs department regarding container clearance on Torkham and Chaman borders. He directed the departments to ensure clearance of containers on Afghan Transit Trade within a week.

Qaiser maintained easing down the scanning requirements for the Afghan Transit Trade would facilitate the traders and directed the Customs department to complete the process within a week.

He also directed representative of the State Bank of Pakistan to ensure establishment of bank branches at Angoor Adda and Ghulam Khan Borders for facilitation of traders.

The representative of State Bank of Pakistan informed that bank of Khyber and National Bank of Pakistan would establish banks within stipulated time. He commended the approval of the cabinet for visa liberalisation policy for Afghan Nationals on recommendation of the committee.

The speaker inquired about the implementation of off-loading of import containers at Miran Shah instead of Ghulam Khan and deployment of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) personnel at Ghulam Khan, Angoor Adda and Kharlachi.

Meanwhile, Qaiser directed interior ministry secretary to immediately assess the ground situation and submit a report at the earliest to facilitate traders on Afghan Transit Trade.

Reviewing progress on the issue of waving off demurrage and detention charges for the Afghan Transit Trade containers, the committee recommended unanimously to forward this matter to Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet.

Attendees of the meeting included lawmakers Mohsin Dawar, Salahuddin Ayubi, Shandana Gulzaar, Sajida Begum and senior officers of Ministry of Commerce, Interior, National Food Security, Maritime, Foreign Affairs, State Bank of Pakistan, FBR and representative of governments of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. APP