SCCI chief wants hurdles to Pak-Afghan trade removed

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz has stressed the need for removal of impediments to trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In a statement on Saturday, he said both governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan should take measures to facilitate business community on both sides of the border to enhance trade between the two countries. The SCCI chief called for pragmatic measures to accelerate the checking and clearing process of trucks loaded with goods and other items at Torkham border to ease difficulties of the business community and exporters.

He said the Torkham border management should be strengthened to amicably resolve the issues of exporters and importers. Maqsood Anwar said the government had opened the Torkham border 24/7, which was a welcoming step but the checking and clearing process was very slow at Torkham station that had created long queues of trucks and containers loaded with goods. The SCCI chief said slow clearing was not only affecting exports, but also hampering bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Maqsood Anwar said that mutual trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan was very low. He said the both Islamabad and Kabul should take effective measures to facilitate the business community of their countries to meet the mutual trade target.

He asked the government to take steps for provision of facilities at Torkham to boost trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He said the government should improve the management system at Torkham border to ease difficulties of the business community.