Issues affecting trade with Kabul identified

Traders have demanded rationalizing tariffs and devising a joint mechanism to remove hurdles in Pak-Afghan bilateral trade as well as transit trade.

They demanded rationalized levies, improvement in border management system, simplifying procedures and policies in order to boost up mutual trade between the two neighbouring countries as well as enhance regional trade.

Traders at a meeting of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry standing committee on ‘Afghanistan and Central Asian Republic (CARs) trade promotion’ urged government to take steps to improve bilateral trade with the regional countries including Afghanistan.

The meeting presided over by Director Area Study Centre, Peshawar University on Friday. Engineer Manzoor Elahi, the senior vice chairman and Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, vice chairman of the standing committee, members and representatives of stakeholders were present at the meeting.

The meeting had been convened to put forward recommendations to the government regarding promotion of Pak-Afghan trade and enhancement of exports to regional countries.

Participants of the meeting emphasized that the business community on both sides of the border should be consulted before signing of a new Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA).

The meeting identified the bottlenecks and hiccups hampering the mutual trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and proposed a number of ideas/recommendations to address them by adopting joint policy. It asserted that a joint roadmap/combined policy should be adopted to resolve issues of Pak-Afghan traders. Speaking on the occasion, Manzoor Elahi said that the SCCI is making vigorous efforts to enhance bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and onward trade with regional countries.

In this regard, he said the chamber had already proposed a number of recommendations. He added the present government has taken steps in light of SCCI’s proposals to improve Pak-Afghan mutual trade as well as exports to CARs. However, he pointed out that K-P traders are mostly doing business with Afghanistan, who are faced with numerous difficulties that must be removed by means of joint efforts of both countries. The ex-senior officio of the SCCI suggested rationalizing tariffs, relaxation in rules and improvement in the border management system.

Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, who is also vice president Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber emphasized that Pak-Afghan traders should be consulted before finalizing and signing new ATTA. He said K-P has disadvantaged due to long distance from Karachi port, because of which, the business community faced many problems, which should be addressed by taking serious steps.

He demanded serious steps should be taken for making fully operational of Azakhel Dryport, Nowshera. He also called for restoration of cargo service through Pakistan Railways along with provision of other facilities to the trading community.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2021.