The Afghan administration has revised the tariff on Pakistani citrus, giving relief to the fruits traders from the two countries.

The tariff has declined from Rs. 33 per kilogram (kg) to Rs. 10 per kg.

The development has taken place as a result of relentless efforts by the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) on both sides of the border.

The step to rationalize the tariff positively will impact both sides, as it will generate much-needed revenue, especially for Afghanistan amid the prevailing financial crisis and absence of a formal banking system.

Such steps must be continually taken in order to sustain stable economic activity.

Chairman PAJCCI Zubair Motiwala appreciated the concentrated efforts of Vice-President Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Khan Jan Alokozai, who along with Afghan Union of Fresh Fruit traders met with Afghan Minister for Industry and Commerce and officials of the Ministry of Finance to solicit the support of Afghan administration in giving relief to the traders.

It is to note that PAJCCI held last week a meeting of the stakeholders with Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss the issue of held citrus consignments and the high tariff impacting the trade and to bring it to the limelight for an immediate resolution and, thus, save businesses from loss. President Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry Shoaib Ahmed Basra had lauded the role of PAJCCI and its Chairman Zubair Motiwala for bringing all stakeholders for negotiations.

In his remarks, Motiwala stated that PAJCCI was committed to not only raising concerns but also coming up with practical solutions on the ground in both countries. He added that PAJCCI would continue taking the voice of the business community to the authorities concerned.

He requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the recent State bank of Pakistan’s notification regarding the removal of the cash-on-counter facility. He said it cast terrible impacts on transacting with both Afghanistan and CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries. He regretted that the consignments of raw cotton being imported from Afghanistan and transited from Central Asian Republics were stuck on the border due to persisting banking problems.

Source: Pro Pakistani