Ashrafuddin Pirzada
PESHAWAR: Provincial Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation Taj Muhammad Afridi, on the directives of Interim Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, held a meeting with different stakeholders in which he was briefed about the current trade issues that have slowed exports and exports with Afghanistan via Torkham border.
Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation Taj Muhammad Afridi chaired the meeting held at the deputy commissioner’s office on Tuesday.
Pakistan Customs, National Logistic Cell, police, Federal Board of Revenue officials and other stakeholders including traders, Torkham custom clearing agents association representatives also attended the meeting. Deputy Commissioner of District Khyber Abdul Nasir Khan also attended the meeting.
The agenda of the meeting was to boost trade activities with Afghanistan and address issues being faced by traders and transporters.
Minister Taj Muhammad Afridi was briefed about restrictions and hurdles for transporters and exporters at the Torkham border. Taj Muhammad Afridi showed his grief and concern over the shrinking trade activities via the Torkham border. He said bilateral trade with Afghanistan dropped rapidly in the past year.
He said the border management committee was responsible for the deteriorating trade situation via the Torkham border. He said customs, federal Board of Revenue, National Logistic Cell and Frontier Corps personnel violate the set departmental rules of business and go beyond their domain that had created problems for traders.
He said due to interference in each other’s official domain traders have minimized their export and import via the Torkham border.
Taj Muhammad Afridi said due to a tug-of-war between the government departments exports of 70 per cent dropped with Afghanistan. He said trade via Torkham generates a handsome revenue that plays a vital role in Pakistan’s economy. He said due a number of problems including misuse of authority by each government official was the core issue that had to be addressed.
He urged all the line departments to jointly work within the limits of their respective domains to help increase trade volume with Afghanistan.
The provincial minister Taj Muhammad Afridi said if the situation remains the same trade activities via the Torkham border point would compel businessmen and traders to stop importing and exporting via the Torkham border.
