Daily Times

KHYBER AGENCY: Improving the process of importing and exporting commodities, the custom officials at Torkham Center set nine fresh conditions on Wednesday for export at Torkham border.

According to the new rules, the clearing agents would have to produce authorization letter, proof of payment, trade agreement between parties on prescribed papers, Grading and Marking certificate prepared under grading and marking rules 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973 and 1979, membership/registration with respective product association (licensed by DGTO, Ministry of Commerce, Government of Pakistan), certificate of origin from respective product association, copies of CNIC and NTN (National Tax Number), Phytosanitary (fruit and vegetable) Certificate / Animal Quarantine Certificate and I.P.O’s registration of Brand for Export of food items. For import, custom house has asked the clearing agents to provide the authorization letter from the importer to the clearing agent, certificate of origin, Phytosanitary Certificate (fruit/ dry fruit and vegetable), Aflatoxin Certificate (fruits and dry fruits) and the agreement between the local importer and the Afghani exporter.

Torkham Clearing Agents Association Vice President Haji Wahid Shinwari said that it was impossible for the clearing agents community to meet the conditions set by the custom officials. He added that the process was time consuming since the offices of the authorities allowed to grant these certificates were located in Peshawar. He further said that not all importers were familiar with the newly introduced clearing regulations. Following the implementation of the new regulations, not a single truck was cleared for import or export because of the lack of proper documentation. Haji Wahid scheduled an emergency meeting for today in which the future strategy regarding the implementation of the new clearing rules would be discussed. It is important to note that due to the halting of the clearing process, hundreds of loaded trailers and trucks were stranded on both sides of the border.

Published in Daily Times, November 2^nd 2017.