Hafeez Shaikh directs FBR, MoC for smooth transportation of perishable goods to Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Finance, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh Thursday directed officials of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Ministry of Communications to ensure smooth transportation of perishable items meant for Afghanistan through Afghan Transit Trade.

He was presiding over a meeting to further ease the process of transportation of vegetables, foods, spices and other items to and from Afghanistan.

The meeting was called for speedy transportation of goods to and from Afghanistan through Wagah Border and Karachi Port.

It was also decided that the report of the daily movement of the containers carrying perishable items crossing Pak-Afghan border would be submitted to the Minister for Finance.

The customs authorities, being the facilitator of the Afghan Transit Trade,should start working on the issuance of guarantee that is for sixty days for perishable items and file a report in this regards so that a regime be incorporated for mutual satisfaction of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The other tops discussed in the meeting included making more utilization of Dry Port at Peshawar, strengthening of the customs control and monitoring of the Afghan Transit Trade so that no leakage takes place from Karachi to Torkhum and backward, and so on from Afghan border to Wagah Border.

The transportation capacity between Karachi Port to Torkhum border was also discussed with an aim to make the transit regime more and more efficient.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Senator Ilyas Bilour, Secretaries of Finance. Communications and Revenue and representatives of NLC, and other high officials.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011