Pakistan assures withdrawal of duty on Afghan fruits, vegetables

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has assured Afghanistan for withdrawal of Regulatory Duty (RD) on fruits and vegetables after which Kabul showed its willingness to consider resumption of suspended talks under Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Cooperation Authority (APTTCA) meeting on mutually agreed time frame.

“We have assured Afghan side to implement all decisions on which the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had agreed in his last visit of Kabul,” Federal Secretary Commerce Younas Dagha confirmed to The News here on Tuesday. The sources said that PM Abbasi had assured Afghan side in his last month visit for withdrawal of Regulatory Duty on fruits and vegetable and also removal of other non-tariff barriers on their exports to Pakistan.

Pakistan, the sources said, made fresh efforts to convince Kabul for de-linking opening up of Wagha border under the talks for finalising revised Transit Trade Agreement between the two sides. “Pakistan and Afghanistan should resolve bilateral trade issues instead of linking resumption of talks with any third party,” said the sources. Pakistani side seems upbeat that Afghanistan would be ready to resume suspended talks under APTTCA and would convey their willingness soon for convening of next meeting on mutually agreed time frame any time after Ramazan.

According to announcement of the Ministry of Commerce issued on Tuesday stating that a high-ranking ministerial delegation from Afghanistan led by Deputy Minister for Commerce Ms. Kamila Sidiqi had meeting with Mohammad Younas Dagha, Secretary Commerce and officials of the ministry at the Ministry of Commerce on 8th May, 2018. Fazal Abbas Maken, Secretary, National Food Security and Research and officials of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Federal Board of Revenue and Foreign Office were also present during the meeting.

Afghan delegation also included Hamdullah Hamdard, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Mir Saeed Saeedy, Director General, International Trade, Ministry of Commerce, Khan Jan Alakozai, Head of Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Najibullah Wardak, Deputy Director, Income, Ministry of Finance, Ahmed Shakir Qarar, Deputy Director, First Political Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Edrees Raouf, Cotton Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock and Embassy officials. During the meeting, both sides expressed the desire to enhance trade relations between the two countries by overcoming existing challenges. The discussion largely hinged on the SPS/Quarantine certification and removal of regulatory duties on selected items like fresh fruits and vegetables, dry fruit, etc. to facilitate Afghanistan’s exports to Pakistan as announced by the Prime Minister of Pakistan during his recent visit to Afghanistan.

Deployment of Department of Plant Protection personnel on various border crossings was also discussed and the Secretary, Ministry of National Food Security and Research informed the Afghan side that the personnel have been deployed at Chaman and Torkham initially and other border crossings will also be facilitated in due course.

It was agreed that the institutional mechanism between both the countries needs to be strengthened and the holding of much awaited 7thAfghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority Meeting by the Afghan side was the need of the hour. It was resolved that all out efforts would be made to remove impediments hampering bilateral and transit trade.

The two sides will increase interaction at technical and policy levels for the prompt resolution of issue from time to time. The Afghan delegation thanked the Pakistan government for its hospitality and for accommodation of the concerns of Afghan traders and farmers, the official statement concluded.