Daily Times

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Wednesday said that promoting exports is imperative for economic stability and development of Pakistan.

He said that Afghanistan by virtue of its location was a favorable export destination besides being at the transit route to the Central Asia. He stressed for implementation of the recommendations of the Executive Committee of Pak-Afghan Friendship Group for fully realizing the export potential of the country. Speaker National Assembly was chairing the appraisal meeting of the Executive committee of the Pakistan Afghanistan Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG) to review the implementation of the decisions regarding Pak-Afghan Trade and visa facilitation in the Parliament House on Wednesday.

The NLC representative informed the Committee that container clearance had reached average up to 1870 per day due to deployment of extra personnel and speedy clearance of Afghanistan bound containers and would be enhanced up to 2000 containers per day. The Speaker appreciated the performance of FBR and Custom department regarding container clearance on Torkham and Chaman borders. He directed FBR and Custom to ensure clearance of containers of Afghan Transit Trade within a week. He also remarked that easing down the scanning requirements for the Afghan Transit Trade would facilitate the traders and directed the Custom department to complete the process within week. He directed Representative of the State Bank of Pakistan to ensure establishment of Bank Branches at Angoor Adda and Ghulam Khan Borders for facilitation of the traders. The Representative of SBP informed that Bank of Khyber and National Bank of Pakistan would establish banks within stipulated time.

He commended the approval of the cabinet of visa Liberalization policy for Afghan Nationals on recommendation of this committee. Enquiring about the implementation of the matter related to off-loading of import containers at Miran Shah instead of Ghulam Khan and deployment of FIA personnel at Ghulam Khan, Angoor Adda and Kharlachi, the Speaker directed Secretary M/o Interior to immediately assess the ground situation and submit a report at the earliest. to facilitate the Afghan Transit Traders.

Reviewing progress on the issue of waving off Demurrage and Detention charges for the Afghan Transit Trade containers, the Committee recommended unanimously to forward this matter on Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet. The Committee also unanimously recommended to bring legislative bill in the matter of waiving off demurrage issues. While inquiring about reducing the number of checkpoints, the Speaker directed Special Assistant to PM on Establishment to held meeting with Balochistan Government, stakeholders and apprise the committee about rationalization of the required numbers of check posts.

SPAM remarked that the recent approval of rationalization and visa liberalization policy for Afghanistan by Cabinet is due the substantive efforts and deliberation on the part of this Executive Committee. He said that Imran Khan Prime Minister during approval of the visa policy for Afghanistan has directed to provide all facilities to visa seekers in Kabul Embassy Pakistan. Sadiq khan Prime Minister Special Envoy to Afghanistan said that coordination of FBR and NLC is vital to facilitate the transit traders. MNA Mohsin Darwar and Shahdana Gulzar Khan suggested for suggested for on ground visit of Torkham, Chamman and Angoor adda besides giving retrospective legislation in the matter of waiving of demurrage issues.

MNAs Mohsin Darwar, Salahuddin Ayubi, Ms. Shandana Gulzaar, Sajida Begum, senior officers of Ministries of Commerce, Interior, National Food Security, Maritime, Foreign Affairs, State Bank of Pakistan, FBR and Representative of Governments of KPK and Balochistan attended the meeting.

RCCI urge for conducive environment to boost trade:

The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Industry (RCCI) Nasir Mirza has said that a conducive environment should be provided for the promotion of trade activities in the region. No harassment by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) and other agencies on the account of tax notices, tax collection and registration. Stakeholders should also be consulted for implementation of the Point of Sale (POS) system at their premises.

Addressing different trade delegations, RCCI newly elected President Nasir Mirza said that the business community has suffered the most from the Corona epidemic and we expect that the government will announce more incentive packages to address their grievances.

The tax authorities should be lenient with the business community amid the Corona crisis. The property tax and dues should be waived off as businesses were closed for more than five months and the issuance of notices instead of relief packages is a matter of concern, he added.

The representatives of trade association congratulated President Nasir Mirza and other office bearers on assuming the role and apprised them about the problems faced by them.

The chamber’s recommendations should be considered to eliminate encroachments in the city. The parking problem should be solved. President Nasir Mirza assured the delegations that the platform of the chamber would raise its voice to solve the problems of the traders.

The delegations include Commercial Market, Shoe Market, Gawalmandi and Tea merchant associations. Group Leader Sohail Altaf, former presidents, Senior Vice President Osman Ashraf, Vice President Shahraiz A Malik, members of the executive committee and a large number of RCCI members were also present on the occasion.