Peshawar - A five-member delegation of Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) on Saturday held a meeting with the Director General Transit and Trade, Imtiaz Ahmad Sheikh, during a visit to Directorate of Trade Custom House, Peshawar. 

According to a press release, the delegation was led by newly-elected vice president of PAJCCI, Zia-ul-Haq. Director Transit Trade, Arbab Qaiser Hameed, Deputy Director Ghulam Khan Border, Asfandyar, and Deputy Director Torkhem Border, Amanat Ali Khan were also present on the occasion. 

The delegation member congratulated DG Imtiaz Sheikh over assuming office of his new appointment. They also appreciated services rendered by the outgoing DG Transit Trade, Raza Khan and former Director Trade, Amjad Rahman. Both the officials, the delegation members added, during their one-and-a-half-year tenure have worked a lot for resolution of problems being faced by businessmen dealing in Afghan Transit Trade. They also played a pivotal role in opening of Ghulam Khan Border for Pak-Afghan trade, the delegation members observed. 

The PAJCCI delegation apprised the DG Transit Trade that 1965 Trade Agreement remained in vogue for around 45 years and there were very nominal complaints of people related to transit trade. 

However, they said, the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Agreement signed in 2010 has a lot of lacunas, as a result of which 70 percent of transit trade business has been shifted from Karachi Port to Chabahar Port in Iran. 

They demanded amendments in the 2010 Afghan Transit Trade agreement at the earliest through consultation of all stakeholders. They also demanded revoking of SRO 121 and to allow Good in Transit to Afghanistan (GITA) to transport containers and lose cargo in train from Peshawar to Karachi and from Karachi to Chaman (Balochistan). 

The documentation of GITA should be carried out at Azakhel Dry Port instead of Karachi through Weebok so that Custom Clearing and Forwarding Agents could also benefit from this business. 

The delegation told DG Transit Trade that examination system at Karachi cover marking of only five percent of goods while customs officials check the whole container. The KICT has given five days free time while PSCT is giving 14 days free time for checking. It is therefore requested to also direct KICT to give fourteen days of free time. 

They said the custom duty for Pakistani goods is charged as Rs200,000 and for Afghan goods is Rs600,000 which needed a review. They complained that custom staff in Karachi after clearance of goods through scanning held it for examination which is in violation of APTTA rules. 

The delegation demanded enhancement in number of tracker companies, allowing railways, NLC and private trucks along with bonded carrier for transportation of goods. They also demanded provision of facility of TP file for transit good as given in Karachi for imported goods while initiation of GD and other processing of goods at Azhakhel Dry Port.