PESHAWAR: The annual volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan is around $2 billion which can be increased to $5 billion by streamlining procedures and maintaining the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK).
This was stated by Collector Model Customs Collectorate Peshawar Qurban Ali Khan in an exclusive interview with Customs Today. He said that new qualified staff will be inducted to the department by the end of second quarter of the current fiscal year.
Khan said that volume of Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) was diminished as most of its part has been diverted to Iran due to uncertainty in the region. He hoped that successful military operation in Federal Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) will change the scenario as a secure route will be available for business communities of both countries. He said that arrangements were also made to shift over electronic data interchange with Afghanistan.
In order to facilitate the local businessmen, Peshawar Customs and Pakistan Railways are working to make functional the Azakhel Dry Port that is the demand of the KP traders.
He also rubbished the perception of people that field staff of the customs is very strict, adding that they only worked by following the procedures, outlined by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Saying that Peshawar Customs was making all efforts to collect the customs duties and taxes on imports as per the prescribed rates, Khan said it was the largest collectorate of country.
During first quarter of the year, “we foil smuggling of foreign currency amounting to Rs 450 million and gold.” He added that field staff was now specialised to detect the currency smuggling as in another case it seized almost one million Saudi Riyals.
The collected also impounded smuggled vehicles including a BMW, a Mercedes, five containers and a mini-bus of Afghan-Pak Friendship Service.
The collector said that auction was conducted every month regularly, adding that amount earned trough auction was duly deposited in the national exchequer.
