Strategy sought to lift Pak-Afghan trade

Webinar speakers say raw material can be imported from Central Asian states

KARACHI:

Businessmen and public sector officials have stressed that a concrete strategy should be developed to tap the trade opportunities existing between Pakistan and Afghanistan with focus to extend trade relations to the Central Asian Republics.

At a webinar organised by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) on Thursday, the speakers held the view that public and private sector stakeholders should be taken on board for devising a viable strategy to streamline Pak-Afghan trade.

They stressed the need for establishing a common forum for broader consultation and review of recommendations, suggestions and policies in that regard.

They observed that Pakistan and Afghanistan could create countless opportunities for local small and medium enterprises, which could expand foreign trade prospects to the Central Asian markets through the Afghan border.

They pointed out that raw material for Pakistan’s industries could be imported from Central Asian countries in just seven days as opposed to the US and Europe from where shipments took about a month and a half to reach Pakistan.

Speakers from the private sector requested the government to halt the scanning of import and export consignments along the Pak-Afghan border as it would save time for the industry.

They pointed out that the Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) was set to expire next year and broader consultation between parliamentarians and business community stakeholders was needed for its renewal.

The speakers urged Smeda to play a proactive role for consultation and coordination between private and public sector stakeholders in order to evolve a strategy conducive for streamlining Pak-Afghan trade as well as Pakistan’s linkage with the Central Asian states.