Peshawar
The speakers at a seminar organized by Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in collaboration with the Pakistan Customs Department appreciated the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) step to facilitate cross-border trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The seminar was held at Chamber’s House on Pakistan Single Window System here on Wednesday.
The trader body jointly endorsed the idea and said that it would prove a milestone toward ease of doing business, a policy of the government to promote business activities across the border.
The participants of the seminar said the system has been placed to make the goods clearance processes at borders feasible and bring efficiency in bilateral business.
Ease of doing business policy for trade associated people would boost up mutual trade with landlocked Afghanistan and the rest of Central Asian Republics they added.
SSCI President Hasnain Khurshid Ahmad, who was chairing the seminar, shed lights over the systems and pinpointed hurdles being faced by the traders on the border with Afghanistan.
Salman Afzal, Additional Collector Customs Pakistan Single Window System, Deputy Collector Customs Zaheer Abbas impart a detailed presentation on the occasion through a multimedia informed the participants about the overall objectives and facilitation of cross-border trade and role of PSW.
Besides, the SCCI Senior Vice president Imran Khan Mohmand, Vice President Javed Akhtar, former president Faiz Muhammad Faizi, former senior vice presidents Shahid Hussain, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Engr Manzoor Elahi, former vice president Shuja Muhammad, executive members Ghulam Hussain, S Minhajuddin, Sohail Javed, Syed Ejaz Ali Shah, Aftab Iqbal, Ihsanullah, Fazal e Wahid, Imtiaz Ahmad Ali, along with traders, exporters and importers were in attendance in a large number.
The aim of the Pakistan Single Window system is to reduce cost and time in cross-border trade and provide best facilitation to those who are associated with the business, he added.
Salman Afzal further said clearing of good consignments would prevent from paying heavy charges on heads of demurrage and detention by traders.
The senior official said that Pakistan being signatory of relevant WTO protocol was liable to implement Pakistan Single Window System.
The system has the capacity to remove physical interventions, bring transparency, and efficiency in the goods clearing and border management system.
More than 15 commercial banks have been connected under the PSW to provide the service of digital payment systems to traders, Zaheer informed.
