CHAMAN: Pakistani importers have suspended fresh fruit import from Afghanistan as a protest against an increase in regulatory duty by the Federal Board of Revenue from Rs20,000 to Rs95,000 per ton. It has led to hundreds of trucks loaded with fresh and dried fruits being stranded at Customs House in the border town of Chaman, as the importers have refused to pay increased taxes and suspended import from Afghanistan.
The customs authorities confirmed they had started implementation on the orders of the federal government regarding increasing regulatory duty on the import of fruits from Afghanistan. The officials explained that the taxes would be received for one year, with effect from August 22, 2022.
Grapes, pomegranates and other seasonal fruits loaded in the trucks will be lost if the situation is not cleared up soon. With the suspension of these imports from Afghanistan, Pakistan might face shortages of fresh fruit as fruit orchards in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had already been destroyed by floods.
