PESHAWAR - Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Maqsood Anwar on Monday urged the government to take pragmatic steps to remove hurdles and problems to give a boost to bilateral trade and transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The SCCI chief in a statement said that freight charged by various bonded carriers at Karachi Port from exporters was up to Rs.600000 per cargo truck, which was high and alarming. “The exporters are facing huge financial problems because of the bonded carriers’ monopoly.
The policy has brought negative impacts on bilateral and transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said.
He urged the government and relevant authorities to take steps and introduce business friendly policies for creating favourable working atmosphere and to minimize the cost of doing business.
He also called for bringing change in the proposed draft Rule 328 regarding license of bonded carrier to ensure sensitivity and security of transit cargo under the necessary amendment in the relevant rule.
The SCCI president said that mutual trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan was very low and if policies were not reviewed it would further decline. He called upon the federal government and relevant authorities to take concrete steps to remove impediments in way of mutual and transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.