ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has collected Rs 108.7 million from Afghan transit trade during the last three years.
Sources told Customs Today that under Article 30 of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), 2010, the FBR can’t charge any tax or impose any levy on transit of goods to Afghanistan.
Therefore, the source said that no direct revenue was generated by FBR from the Afghan Transit Trade, however, Goods Declaration (GD) filing fee at the rate of Rs 250 per (GD) is being charged on commercial transit cargo, but GD filing fee is being charged at the rate of Rs 24,000 per GD on goods being transited for the US or NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan.
The source said that FBR collected Rs 27.8 million on account of transit commercial/ non-commercial GD filing fee as well as Rs. 80.9 million under the head of GD fee on US/ ISAF / NATO transit cargo in last three years.
“FBR has not carried out study to calculate revenue earned by other businesses involved in this regard” the source observed naming the relevant businesses associated with clearance of transit cargo including port terminal operators and shipping sector including shipping companies, stevedores, freight forwarders, customs agents, transport operators, insurance companies, tracking companies, toll tax collectors and earn revenues from transit trade.
The source said that to further accelerate the amount of revenue collection, FBR had moved a few recommendations to Railways Ministry for reactivating Railways role with special reference to transit trade with Afghanistan which will reduce the cost of business for Afghan transit traders.
In this regard, special focus had been paid towards goods trains equipped with latest tracking device to avoid forgery in the name of Afghan transit trade” the source added.
