ISLAMABAD, July 18 (APP): Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir
Khan on Tuesday said the government was making efforts to increase
Pakistan’s transit trade area to Central Asian Republics (CARs).
He was talking to a delegation of World Customs Organization
(WCO), led by its Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya who called on him
here.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss issues of bilateral
interest including technical assistance with regard to counter
terrorism and supply chain security, trade facilitation and economic
competitiveness, emerging challenges to customs, illicit financial
flows and customs reform and modernization.
The Commerce Minister said that trade area to CARs will be
expanded as per the vision of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
“We will welcome and appreciate support from WCO to help in
either drafting a new agreement or to form some guidelines so that
the goods can move across borders more efficiently,” he added.
Khurram Dastgir informed the delegation that Pakistan has
become a member of TIR convention and it is still in the
implementation stage but there is need to merge it with the Transit
Trade Agreement to facilitate the movement of goods.
The minister further said that Pakistan is already a signatory
of TFA and is working with all its neighbors for regularization of
trade, minimizing tariffs and removing the Non-Tariff barriers.
The World Customs Organization (WCO), established in 1952,
represents 182 Customs administrations around the world including
Pakistan Customs, that collectively process 98% of World Trade.
It provides an important forum for dialogue and exchange of
experiences between national customs delegates as well as technical
assistance and training services.
WCO helps in combating fraudulent activities and actively
supports endeavours for modernizing and building capacity of the
national customs administrations.
Pakistan Customs is already a part of several WCO initiatives
including its Program Global Shield (PGS) and Strategic Trade
Control Enforcement (STCE) Programme under which Pakistani officers
have received extensive trainings.
Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya said that WCO will provide
its support to Pakistan in regularization of trade and also
suggested that Pakistan recuperate its trade relations with all its
neighbor countries particularly Afghanistan to play a more
significant role in the corridor.
The Secretary General also said that WCO will provide support
to Pakistan in harmonizing Customs data and for fast information
sharing to ensure speedy movement of goods across the borders.
Khurram Dastgir suggested further meetings to discuss the
transit trade, tariff duties, harmonizing of customs data and
installing a system to evaluate the quantum of smuggling.
