Traders, Customs clearing agents in Landikotal protest new system

LANDIKOTAL: Scores of customs clearing agents and traders on Monday staged a protest rally in Torkham bazaar and asked the Supreme Court to take notice of, what they thought were, illogical and unlawful rules implemented by Customs Department officials for import and export of goods from and to Afghanistan.

The protesters, led by All Torkham Customs Agents Association President Hayatullah Shinwari, marched in Torkham bazaar. Hayatullah Shinwari said that Customs Department had already set 13 conditions for the importers and exporters and recently imposed another one called "Web-Based One Customs" (WEBOC).

He said the WEBOC system had multiplied miseries of traders and customs agents as it needed fast internet service and uninterrupted electricity supply. Hayatullah Shinwari said they did not want to create hurdles in import and export process via Torkham border.

He added the traders and customs clearing agents were not ready to follow WEBOC system due to non-availability of facilities. Hundreds of trucks loaded with different goods including fresh fruit and vegetables were stranded at Torkham border as Torkham customs clearing agents did not clear import and export goods to record their protest against Pakistan's Customs officials. When contacted, a senior Pakistan Customs official said that they were implementing such system across Pakistan. He said they had installed 10 computers at Torkham border to make the clearing process easy to save time. The official said they were mulling a plan to train traders and agents so that they could easily operate WEBOC system.