Pakistan committed to resolve trade issues with Afghanistan

KARACHI: Pakistan is committed to discuss and resolve all the outstanding issues related to bilateral and transit trade with Afghanistan, a senior government official said on Saturday.

“The ministry (of commerce) is working vigorously to resolve the impediments from Pakistan side,” Secretary Commerce Younus Dagha said in a meeting with the officials of Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI).

“Pakistan gives immense importance to the relationship with Afghanistan,” Dagha said in a statement.

Pakistan had invited the Afghan Minister for Commerce for a meeting in January.

Afghanistan postponed 7th Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority (APTTCA) meeting indefinitely.

The statement said the government had shared a draft text of the proposed preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Afghanistan through diplomatic channels in 2014.

During the 10th session of Pak-Afghan Joint Economic Commission meeting held in Islamabad in November 2015, the Afghan side vowed to convey their response on the draft text of the PTA by January 2016.

The response is still awaited while Pakistan is willing to have PTA with Afghanistan, it added.

The delegation discussed problems of customs valuation, bonded carriers, regulatory duty and quarantine and visa issues faced by businessmen from both the sides.

The meeting agreed that visa regime in both the countries should be improved further by making categories: business and visit visas.

“For business visa specifically, the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry recommendation letter should be made mandatory, so that it can authenticate the process and resolve the irritants,” it said.

Khan Jan Alokozai, co-chairman of PAJCCI acknowledged the support of ministry of commerce and Pakistan’s government resolve to arrange 7th meeting of Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority and bilateral ministerial meeting as soon as possible.

Zubair Motiwala, chairman of Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry assured support and facilitation for holding Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority meeting in Pakistan.

Last month, Motiwala asked the finance ministry to consider the effects of recent political turmoil over bilateral and transit trade whereby Pakistan-Afghanistan trade dropped significantly in the last two to three years.

Bilateral trade potential is estimated at five billion dollars. Lately, it has fallen to $1.6 billion from $2.5 billion because of souring relationship between the two countries.