PESHAWAR: Collector Qurban Ali Khan has said that smuggling has been wiped out in almost entire the region and anti-smuggling squad has sealed the border with Afghanistan.
the Customs Department is working on the policy of facilitating business community, besides generating revenue for the national exchequer.
The Peshawar collector said this while addressing a reception hosted in his honour by the Peshawar Dry Fruit Traders and Merchants Association. All Pakistan Commercial Exporters of Precious and Semi Precious Stones (APCEA) Chairman Zulfiqar Ahmad Siddique, Peshawar Dry Fruit Traders and Merchants Association Chairman Mamoor Khan, prominent businessman Manzoor Elahi and high-ranking officials of Customs Department were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Qurban Ali said, “Our import has shown significant increase due to blockage of smuggling from Afghanistan.”
He pointed out that the Customs Department has been computerised and started speedy processing of documentations relating to clearance of goods for imports and exports. He said there was only one Collector in Customs Department for entire KP, FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan areas about 20 years ago, but now there are around 1,000 officials only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Now Customs Collectorate has become a developed organisation where no one can fleece the traders in name of documentation,” he said.
Qurban apprised the participants of the reception that recently Customs Collectorate has deputed Assistant Collector at Parachinar (Kurram Agency) and now around 600 trucks are crossing border from Parachinar to Afghanistan on daily basis and as many trucks are coming back loaded with goods including fresh fruit and other items.
The Peshawar collector said that the Customs is opening its office in Lower Dir district, Mohmand Agency, Shangla district and other districts of the province. He said special treatment has been provided to Torkhem post where a modern system has been launched for the facilitation of business community.
Qurban said that he is also providing facility of importing cars from Torkhem post in accordance with rules under which vehicles are cleared at Peshawar dry port. For the first time in the history of the country, import of furnace oil has been allowed from Torkhem border, he said, adding that similarly, import of coal is also started from here creating more economic activities in the region.
He also disclosed that approval for establishment of Azhakhel Dry Port has been granted and only a formal notification is needed after which work would start on the project.
Referring to the demands made in welcome addressing, Qurban Ali Khan said the he will arrange a meeting of representatives of business community of KP with members of Evaluation Committee of Customs to take a review of evaluation of products in prevailing market rates.
He said on recommendations of APCEA, a committee has been formed comprising of members of business community and Customs officials for removal of hindrances in import and export of gemstones.
Earlier, Peshawar Dry Fruit Association Chairman Haji Mamoor Khan and APCEA Chairman Zulfiqar Ahmad Siddique also spoke on the occasion and apprised Collector Customs about problems they face at dry and air ports.
