Pak-Afghan mutual trade: Traders call for joint mechanism

PESHAWAR: Traders have demanded devising a joint mechanism to remove hurdles in the way of Pak-Afghan bilateral trade and transit trade as well as onward to Central Asian Republics.

Rationalized tariffs/levies, improvement in border management system, simplifying procedures/rules and policies in order to boost up mutual trade between the two neighbouring countries as well as enhance regional trade, the speakers stressed during a meeting of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Standing Committee on Afghanistan and Central Asian Republic (CARs) Trade Promotion, held under chairmanship of Director Area Study Centre Peshawar University here at ASC on Friday.

Engineer Manzoor Elahi, the body Senior Vice Chairman and Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Vice Chairman, members and representatives of relevant stakeholders were present in the meeting, which aimed to compile recommendations for 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 consented before finalization and signing of a new Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA).

The meeting identified the bottleneck 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.

Manzoor Elahi while speaking on the occasion said that the SCCI is making vigorous efforts to enhance bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and onward trade with regional countries.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021