SIALKOT: Model Customs Collectorate Sialkot Collector Qurban Ali Khan has said that an advanced 24/7 duty system has successfully been introduced at Sialkot Dry Port Trust, as the senior efficient officials of Customs, Anti Narcotics Force and Sialkot Dry Port have been performing round-the-clock duties there to lure the Sialkot exporters, importers and customs and cargo clearing agents while motivating them to do their business through Sialkot Dry Port.
He stated this while talking to the Customs Today at his office. He pledged to leave no stone unturned for promoting the exports and imports through Sialkot Dry Port, saying that the Sialkot Dry Port Trust was now offering the special services, which were of international standard.
He vowed to make Sialkot Dry Port Trust a centre of excellence in active cooperation with the Sialkot business community as well.
Qurban Ali Khan said that there existed a huge potential of exports from export-oriented Sialkot city through the Sialkot Dry Port and Sialkot International Airport as well.
He said that the exporters had been forwarding their exports to the tune of Rs 7 billion from Sialkot Dry Port Trust every month while forwarding exports of the same volume i.e. Rs 7 billion from other parts of the country every month also.
“We have been striving to bring back these Rs 7 billion exports to Sialkot Dry Port from the other parts of the country by ensuring the early, smooth and hurdle-free provision of all the related facilities to Sialkot exporters at Sialkot Dry Port,” he revealed.
He said that the time was ripe for Sialkot exporters and importers to come back to Sialkot Dry Port Trust and do their business through the dry port on priority.
He said that the proposal was also under active consideration to provide the trade-related incentives to the customs clearing agents at Sialkot Dry Port, adding that there had been 150 licensed customs clearing agents, working at the dry port.
Collector Qurban Ali Khan narrated that the exporters of Sialkot are the ‘Roaming Ambassadors of Pakistan’ who travel all around the world to fetch business and with their personal efforts, the export earnings of Sialkot stand at $1.6 billion annually, which is six per cent of the total exports of Pakistan.
He hailed the spirit of self help of Sialkot-based exporters, who have established Asia’s first ever international airport in private sector at Sialkot. He said that Sialkot International Airport also has a huge potential of cargo exports through the international airlines, which had been offering the worthwhile air freight packages here.
He added that the exporters had been earning precious foreign exchange to the tune of $ 1.6 billion annually besides playing a pivotal role in strengthening the national economy and boosting the national exports as well.
The Collector admired that the exporters of the city had always played a pivotal role in the beautification of the export-oriented city by completing several mega projects of socio-economic, human development oriented and public welfare projects by spending billions of rupees on self help basis. They have been setting unique examples of self help while advising the others to replicate it.
He pledged to provide all the related services and solving the prolonged perturbing problems of the trendy Sialkot exporters whom he admired for establishing Sialkot International Airport, Sialkot Club, Kashmir Park, Sialkot Tanneries Zone, Sialkot Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Sialkot Dry Port Trust and construction of all the main inter-city roads of Sialkot under the Sialkot City Development Package on self help basis, saying that the Sialkot exporters were giving the sharing hands to the government for strengthening and boosting national exports and economy as well.
