KARACHI: President FPCCI and ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Zakaria Usman, has called for the removal of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and other obstacles to increase trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
He also suggested the formation of a Customs Union between the two countries to remove all in complications in Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) can be avoided to boost bilateral trade.
A statement issued here said that the FPCCI president in a meeting with Afghan Commercial Attache Zeeshan Ibrahim, emphasized that Pakistan was the most important trade partner of Afghanistan but the bilateral trade between the two countries did not reflect their true potentials. The business community is facing various problems in trade through APTTA.
He maintained that if Custom Union was formed between both the neighbouring countries, it will facilitate the smooth and frictionless transportation of commodities across the borders and subsidiary issues relating to the collection mechanism, tax and tariff will be automatically removed.
The FPCCI president stressed the need for exploration of new joint business avenues in various sectors and frequent exchange of trade delegations both sides so that people-to-people contact can be established and business-to-business meetings can be arranged.
He said the transit trade from Pakistan to Central Asia was allowed through Chaman border but practically the situation was different, which was a great obstacle in promotion of bilateral trade.
He emphasized on establishment of Pak-Afghan Trade Vigilance Committee under the umbrella of national chambers of both the countries to look into the matters of bilateral trade.
The Afghan Commercial Attache said that Pakistan and Afghanistan were brotherly countries and various trade barriers on both side cause damages to the volume of trade.
He invited the FPCCI President to visit Afghanistan along with a trade delegation.
