SCCI calls for steps to boost regional trade

PESHAWAR: The businessmen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have called for removal of impediments to enhance trade between Pakistan and the regional countries.

“Bolstering of regional trade is essential to stabilizing the local economy, bringing prosperity and increasing the country’s export,” said Sherbaz Bilour, president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) while chairing a meeting of traders, importers and exporters at the Chamber House here on Wednesday.

Engr Manzoor Elahi, senior vice president and Junaid Altaf, vice president of the chamber and others were present in the meeting.

The participants identified the bottlenecks in the way of Pak-Afghan trade as well as Central Asian Republics (CARs) and suggested a number of proposals for their amicable resolution.

It was agreed the proposed recommendations would be sent to diplomatic missions of CARs countries, besides relevant authorities and institutions in order to resolve the obstacle, which were impeding bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the regional countries.

Bilour urged Pakistan and Kabul to review policies to ensure smooth trade between the two neighbouring countries as well as regional trade.

He said the business community, particularly exporters and importers faced enormous difficulties while doing trade with Afghanistan and rest of the regional countries, emphasizing their resolution on priority basis.

SCCI president said that the Pak-Afghan bilateral trade volume can be enhanced along with doing transit trade via Afghanistan to regional states, if all hurdles were removed.

He appreciated the reduction in ratio of tariffs, duties and taxes by both Pakistan and Afghanistan on some import and export items, urging Islamabad and Kabul to reduce tariffs and taxes on other items as well to help achieve the set target of bilateral trade between the two countries.

The SCCI president said that the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement should be signed in light of proposals, which was given by the business community during the consultation process.