FPCCI, NTC discuss trade barriers

KARACHI: National Tariff Commission (NTC) and Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Wednesday discussed tariff barriers to trade and progressive solutions in consultation with businesses and industries.

FPCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh in a meeting with NTC Chairman Naeem Anwar explained that NTC could play a catalytic role in the growth of Pakistani trade with emerging markets of Central Asian countries and Africa by formulating facilitative, growth-oriented and internationally-aligned policies. “Central Asian countries are energy-rich nations, but, limited in their potential for trade due to their landlocked geography,” he said, adding that though the Caspian Sea allows for trade between these countries themselves, it does not provide them much-needed access to the world’s ocean waterways and global markets.

Sheikh said that being the apex body of all chambers and associations of Pakistan, FPCCI is uniquely-positioned to aggregate the feedback from all sectors of the economy and liaison with NTC to help them resolve issues and grievances pertaining to tariffs.

Sheikh highlighted a few glaring challenges hampering the growth of Pakistani exports, including poor rail connectivity to the borders and novice land-based trade infrastructure with regional and sub-regional countries; customs and border controls with the regional countries of Central Asia; inefficient ports of Pakistan that are in dire need of investments; lack or absence of commercial banking channels with the regional countries; and absence of cold storage facilities in the border areas.

NTC chief announced that the commission is all-willing to take up traders’ complaints from all sectors for quick, amicable and win-win resolutions. He also expressed his desire to collaborate with the FPCCI’s Policy Advisory Board to conduct researches into identifying the issues and their productive resolutions.

The NTC chairman stressed that the commission will be forthcoming to facilitate FPCCI in their efforts to open-up new avenues, product-lines, markets and regions for the country – aimed at diversifying and expanding its exports.

“We encourage FPCCI to come up with recommendations that can help remove barriers to trade through exchange of views and delegations with their counterpart chambers in other countries,” he added.