SCCI, customs authorities to form bodies for resolution of issues

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Directorate of Customs, Peshawar have agreed to form two separate joint committees regarding dry port and valuation to resolve the issues being faced by the business community, including exporters and importers.

The agreement came during a meeting attended by Collector Customs (Appraisement) Muhammad Saleem, Collector Customs (Preventive) Khaleel Ibrahim Yousfani, and SCCI Senior Vice President Shahid Hussain here on Wednesday.

The meeting proposed the formation of a two joint committee regarding dry-port and valuation, which would take up issues of the business community with the government and relevant authorities concerned for their amicable resolution.

Former FPCCI president Ghazanfar Bilour, chairman SCCI Standing Committee on Customs Muhammad Ishaq, former president Zahidullah Shinwari, Faiz Muhammad Faizi, members of the SCCI executive committee Ihsanullah, Shams Rahim, Mujeebur Rehman, Altaf Baig, Nisarullah Khan, former vice president Abidullah Yousafzai, Faiz Rasool and Fazle Wahid were present in the meeting.

Shahid Hussain said the business community was the backbone of the country’s economy and they should be facilitated at every level. He expressed satisfaction over the steps and efforts of customs authorities for promotion of bilateral and transit trade despite the Covid-19 crisis.

He hoped that the NLC and other relevant authorities would take serious steps for a solution to the business community’s problems, so that hurdles in the way of bilateral trade and transit trade can be removed. He called upon Islamabad and Kabul to take joint measures for removal of the hurdles in the way of mutual and transit trade.

On the occasion, Zahidullah Shinwari and Muhammad Ishaq informed the meeting about unnecessary checking and harassing of business community by customs intelligence squads, slow pace of clearing process at Torkham border, lack of facilities at Peshawar dry-port and border region, issues relating to valuation and others.

Collector Customs Muhammad Saleem and Ibrahim Yousafani while responding to different questions of the business community said the traders were their partners, who would be facilitated at every level.