Vice President and Zonal Chairman FPCCI, Sohail Altaf said the Customs administration is of immense importance in the international trade and elaborated that when we talk of the Customs administration, we have to keep in mind the tariff rates and non-tariff barriers in trade.
Sohail Altaf stated this while welcoming the participants of the Third Meeting of ECO Council of Heads of Customs Administration.
He also appreciated the efforts for facilitating trade amongst the members of the ECO. Pakistan in the recent past, under an 'Unctad Project' has taken a number of steps to facilitate international trade, he added.
FPCCI Zonal chairman said the importance of the regional trade permissible under the WTO regime could not be over-emphasised as regional trade agreements not only lead to economic stability within the member countries, but also enhance trade flow among member countries.
There has been lot of simplifications in customs procedure and documentation, Sohail Altaf said hoping that the Heads of Customs Administration of the respective member countries of the ECO have taken this aspect in view and would come up with unified customs procedures and documentation, which will help in the flow of international trade amongst the member countries.
He stressed that the interaction with the ground players could ensure the acceptability and implementation of the decisions taken at any forum.
The FPCCI Vice-President urged upon the concerned authorities to have intensive dialogue with stakeholders through the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry, which is an apex body of trade and industry in Pakistan.
Justice Saleem Akhtar, Federal Tax Ombudsman, on the occasion stated that if the Customs applied the Judiciary Act then it would boost the activities of the trade and industry in Pakistan.
Deputy Secretary General ECO agreed that private sector has to be consulted for better and practical policies.
Senator Ilyas Ahmed Bilour, Vice-Chairman ECO CCI and former President FPCCI, Ramzan Bhatti, Member Customs CBR, Iftikhar Ali Malik, Ex-President FPCCI and Presidents of various Chambers of Commerce & Industry also attended the meeting.
Government officials and members of the business community were also present at the occasion.