- Advertisement -
PESHAWAR, Mar 05 (APP):Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Fazal Moqeem Khan stated that closure of Pak-Afghan border was detrimental for the country’s economy, business and mutual trade and urged both countries to resolve issues through table talks and immediate restore cross border trade.
He was talking to a delegation of traders and industrialists, exporters here at the chamber house on Wednesday.
Moqeem stated that the KP traders, especially people adjacent to borders, completely dependent on trade with Afghanistan and export with central Asian countries.
He said businessmen of this province have a massive contribution in economic development, prosperity and progress.
Therefore, he stressed issues being faced by the traders’ community must be addressed on priority grounds.The SCCI chief told the meeting that Torkham border was closed for trade and pedestrian movement owing to unspecified reasons for the last 11 days.
According to rough estimates, he said $4million mutual trade on daily basis were suffered between Pakistan and Afghanistan whereas hundreds of vehicles laden with perishable and export items were stranded at the Torkham border, inflicting massive financial loss to the business community.
Moqeem noted frequent closure of borders has negatively impacted on the national economy, mutual trade and export. Quoting figures of the ministry of foreign affairs, SCCI president said last year, the mutual trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained $1.6billion.
He said Torkham crossing border abruptly shut on the night of 21st February when controversy arose between security officials over modification and renovation of the existing border structure on both sides.
Moqeem mentioned the imposition of Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC) on export from KP, which had shifted export to other provinces that also compounded the miseries of the business community.
He said though the provincial government had reduced the ratio of IDC on export at 1 percent from 2 percent despite that traders are still faced with hardships with regard to export, and demanded complete abolishment of IDC on export.
The SCCI chief viewed that in the month of Ramazan, food imports from Pakistan are usually on peak in Afghanistan, which is facing a humanitarian and hunger crisis. He said as many as 5000 trucks, carrying export and essential food items have been stuck owing to the prolonged closure of the Torkham border.
In his proposals, Moqeem demanded immediate halting of construction work on Torkham border and resumption of movement of goods trucks, trade, and pedestrians with an assurance from the Afghan side to adhere to the previous border restructuring protocols.