PESHAWAR: Business-men and exporters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa associated with diverse sectors urged the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to immediately abolish the one percent Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC) on exports.
The demands were raised during a meeting of All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association (APCEA) held under the chairmanship of Chairman, Iftikhar Ahmad and Senior Vice Chairman Hanan Khan.
The meeting called for immediate reopening of the Torkham Border Crossing for Pak-Afghan trade to help revive commercial and economic activities in the region.
On the special invitation of the chairman, founding members of the association including Khalid Sultan, Pervez Elahi Malik, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Haji Mamoor Khan, Mazharul Haq, Engr. Manzoor Elahi, Faiz Muhammad (Faizi), Haji Tahir Hussain, Faqir Hussain and Mumtaz Khan, along with other prominent businessmen, participated in the meeting.
Addressing the participants, Chairman APCEA Iftikhar Ahmad said the gemstone sector possessed immense potential to boost economic activities in the region through exports of precious and semi-precious stones to international markets.
Chairman APCEA said businessmen associated with the gemstone industry had been facing multiple challenges during the last few months, resulting in a continuous decline in trade volume, which required urgent attention from the relevant authorities.
If gemstone traders were facilitated by the government and departments concerned, including Customs and Income Tax authorities, the sector could generate substantial foreign exchange for the country, he added.
The APCEA chairman said despite limited resources, the gemstone sector could emerge as a game changer for the national economy provided it received proper government support and patronage. He also briefed the participants about measures being taken by the association’s office-bearers for revamping the APCEA office to make it suitable for meetings with senior federal and provincial officials as well as foreign delegations.
Speaking on the occasion, former APCEA chairman Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi stressed the need for removing hurdles hindering trade promotion in the region.
Sarhadi, who is also Senior Vice President of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) and Executive Member of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to immediately abolish the one percent cess on exports. He further demanded reopening of the Torkham border to restore Pak-Afghan trade activities and facilitate thousands of businessmen, labourers and daily wage workers associated with cross-border trade.
The senior businessmen paid tribute to Chairman APCEA Iftikhar Ahmad and Senior Vice Chairman Hanan Khan for their performance and efforts for the betterment of the association and expressed best wishes for their future success.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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