SCCI chief calls for steps to boost regional trade

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Fazal Moqeem Khan on Friday called for concrete steps to improve regional trade.

Talking to a representative delegation of Azerbaijan and Turkiye headed by Sohail Sajjad at the Chamber House here, Fazal Moqeem said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a gateway for trade and export to Afghanistan and Central Asian countries.

He stressed joint initiatives to improve mutual trade with Azerbaijan and Turkiye.The meeting was attended by SCCI senior vice-president Abdul Jalil Jan, executive committee member Ashfaq Ahmad, a representative from Turkiye Muhammad Afzal, Secretary General Muqtasid Ahsan and others.

The SCCI chief stated that traders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mostly depended on trade with Afghanistan and Central Asian countries.He, however, said cross-border trade and transit trade had been adversely affected owing to non-consistent policies and imposition of heavy duties/tariffs by both the governments, which should be reviewed.

Moqeem also mentioned about imposition of Infrastructure Development Cess on export by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government that has become the cause of complete shift of export from KP to other provinces, owing to which traders were faced with difficulty.

He demanded complete abolishment of provincial IDC on the export.

Earlier, the delegation briefed the SCCI president about initiatives for improving trade with Azerbaijan and Turkiye, especially efforts for bringing the business community of both countries closer to each other and fully capitalizing potentials and experiences.