PESHAWAR: A delegation of Frontier Customs Agent Groups have met with Director General (DG) Transit Trade Pakistan Javed Ghani and congratulated him for assuming the charge. In order to end the monopoly of bonded career, activate the current tracking system and ensure safe supply of the containers.
The delegation was comprised of President of Custom Agent Group Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Vice Chairman (VC) all Pakistan Customs Agent Association Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Afghan trader groups President Haji Gul Afzal Shinwari , General Secretary (GS) Farooq Ahmad and member of the executive committee Ashtiaq Ahmad. The delegation met with newly appointed DG in Directorate of transit trade custom House Peshawar where regional Director Sardar Ali was also present on the occasion.
The delegation congratulated the newly appointed DG and appreciated him for being the first DG who visited Peshawar transit directorate. The delegation appraised the DG regarding problems being faced to traders and demanded to end the monopoly of bonded careers and make them liable to ensure safe supply of goods. They also demanded activation of current tracking system as it receiving the fee while its performance is very poor.
They also demanded repairing of the canning machine in Karachi port as during clearance and examination process it causing difficulties. They further said that government must allow partial shifting and in order to make changes in documents easily, government allow shipping line to bring amendment in manifest rules.
They also requested to allow goods of Afghan transit trade to load with LCL cargo through Pakistan railway and end FBR SRO-121 for the purpose to bring load cargo through train. This service will greatly support Pakistan railway in head of revenue.
They regretted that 70 percent of transit trade activities have been shifted from Fort Qasim to Chabahar and Bandar Abas port of Iran which has greatly affected the export of Pakistani goods. He said due to these variation in trade activities, Pakistan railway suffered losses of 12 billion annually, which led to unemployment of hundred of custom agents, clearing agents and border agents.
They said that government should review the decision and should restore the transit trade rout through Karachi Port. On this occasion DG transit trade thanked the delegation and assured to resolve their problems on emergency basis to improve the export and customs service via afghan transit routs.
