Pak-Afghan trade boost tied to termination of tariff barriers

LAHORE: Pakistan-Afghanistan trade volume can be improved by rationalising/removing uncalled-for tariff barriers that have given rise to illegal trafficking of goods between the two neighbours, an official said on Tuesday.

“Smuggling should be eliminated with iron hand as it is equally destructive for the both countries,” Faiza Zubair, secretary general Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PAJCCI) said speaking at Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI).

“The regulatory duty imposed by Afghanistan on Pakistani products happens to be 400 times higher than that levied by Pakistan on latter’s products. Mutual trade cannot grow in the presence of such duty structure.”

Ms Zubair said to overcome trust deficit, there was a need for the establishment of an ‘export house’ to check the quality specifications of goods before full payments were made.

She said that Afghan businessman love to work in Lahore and need progressive support of the LCCI with regards to their stay in the city.

The Pak-Afghan chamber official urged the LCCI to work out a comprehensive proposal about the bilateral trade problems and their solutions in Afghanistan and central Asia.

She said economically and socially we can resolve the political issues of the two countries. “That’s why we are going to arrange a grand combined meeting of all the chambers of Pakistan very soon to discuss the export issue,” Ms Zubair said.