ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with International Road Transport Union (IRU) next week to ease and facilitate international goods traffic on customs and related matters.
The MoU will support the establishment of international economic cooperation corridors and effectively strengthen trade links with key regional trade partners and with the rest of the world.
The International Road Transport Union (IRU), founded in Geneva in March 23, 1948, with the objective to expedite the reconstruction of war-torn Europe through facilitated international trade by road transport.
Presently, IRU is the world road transport organisation, which upholds the interests of bus, coach, taxi and truck operators to ensure economic growth and prosperity via the sustainable mobility of people and goods by road worldwide. Moreover objective of IRU at the time of establishment was.
A well-placed official source at FBR told Customs Today, that draft of the said MoU had been finalized and sent to IRU for approval and would be signed most likely on Thursday.
The source said that MoU would help FBR in holding dialogue with intergovernmental bodies, international organizations and all other stakeholders concerned by the road transport industry, including the public at large.
Moreover, MoU will result in enhanced cooperation with policy makers, legislators and opinion-makers, in order to contribute to informed and effective legislation, striking the right balance between the needs and interests of all.
It will increase public-private partnerships with relevant authorities to implement legal instruments such as the TIR Convention under UN mandate or concrete transnational projects such as the reopening of the Silk Road.
Furthermore the MoU carries provisions of practical services and information to road transport operators such as the latest fuel prices, waiting times at borders, secure parking areas, professional training, legislative developments, legal assistance, etc.
Similarly, concerned sectors will also be provided with the facility of training to promote professional competence in the sector, improve the quality of services it offers and ensure compliance of road transport training standards with international legislation, through the IRU Academy.
