ISLAMABAD: Being cognizant of the requirements to facilitate exporters and importers, the Pakistan Customs has expanded its infrastructure to some ten new customs stations on border with Afghanistan. Moreover, the Pakistan Customs is also considering establishing more stations on specified locations to further facilitate the traders’ community.
It is a fact that the overall recession in world has declined Pakistani exports over the last two years. After a positive growth of 2.75% in FY 2014, the export registered a negative growth of 4.88% in the FY 2015 and 12.11% in the FY 2016. Even exports to Afghanistan have come down from $ 1.962 billion in 2014-15 to $ 1.437 billion in 2015-16.
In order to facilitate the importers/ exporters, new customs stations have been opened at Pak-Afghan border, a source at Pakistan Customs told Customs Today. These stations include Nawagai (Bajaur Agency), Khapakh/ Ghalani (Mohmand Agency), Teri-Mangal (Kurram Agency), Buki (Kurram Agency), Kharlachi (Kurram Agency), Shaheedano Dand (Kurram Agency), Ghulam Khan (North Waziristan Agency), Lawara Boya (South Waziristan Agency), Angoor Adda (South Waziristan Agency) and Khand Narai (South Waziristan Agency).
The source said that these customs stations were performing well in facilitating both Pakistani and Afghani traders. These stations have also reduced the time for the clearance of cargo goods and it has helped Pakistani traders to export perishable products to Afghanistan and beyond with a saved time.
Moreover, the source maintained that on the recommendations of Pakistan Customs, the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved development of the Integrated Transit Trade Management System (ITTMS) project aimed at fully capitalizing the transit trade potential of the country.
Under the proposed project, the source added that state of the art border-crossing complexes at Torkham, Wagha and Chaman would be constructed, which would reduce dwell time of cargo clearance, monitor pilferage and pave the way for one-window operation at country and regional levels. The projected cost of the project is Rs. 31.686 billion.
