President Junaid Altaf discusses operational and policy level matters, Senior customs official assures to address traders’ issues on priority basis
PESHAWAR
Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Customs Department decided to constitute a high-level joint working committee to address business community issues.
The decision was made during a meeting of a delegation of businessmen, headed by SCCI President Junaid Altaf with Chief Collector Customs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Jamil Nasir at the Model Customs House, said in a statement here on Thursday.
Delegation was consisted on the chamber senior vice president Muhammad Nadeem, former senior vice president, senior executive member, Pak-Afghan Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industry senior vice president, Frontier Custom Agents Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (FCAA-KP) president Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, former senior vice president Shahid Hussain, executive member Ishaq Ahmad, Fawad Altaf, Naeemur Rehman, Farooq Ahmad, and representative of transporters community.
Deputy Collectors Customs, Sohail, Ms Fareeha and Zakir Mohammad and other officials were present during the meeting.
Meeting discussed operational and policy level matters.
President Junaid Altaf while taking up various issues of the business community stated traders have suffered billion of rupees loss and triggered massive unemployment due to the prolonged closure of trade routes.
He called Torkham border a lifeline for the business community because it is a major source for earning livelihoods of many families.
SCCI chief mentioned that KP is far away from seaport, because of which, the business community was confronted with numerous challenges and issues, besides cost of goods and raw materials also increased in wake of heavy transportation charges.
President Junaid Altaf took up the business community complaints regarding checking of goods consignments by customs squads at various points despite having legal documents, Goods Declaration and intervention of the police department in customs jurisdiction.
He also highlighted the imposition of Rs1200 Maximum Retail Price (MRP) on tea.
Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, senior executive member expressed serious concerns over non-functional of Azakhel dryport, which according to him, established at 28 acre land with cost of Rs600million. He demanded launch of Goods Train from Peshawar, revival of Goods in GITA, abolishment of SRO 121 to allow loose cargo, and allowing one time clearance of more than 11,000 transit containers stuck at Karachi port.
Shahid Hussain, former senior vice president, stated that the customs authorities should allow the return of 44 cement containers to factories stuck at Torkham Border till the opening of the border.
Senior official said they are with businessmen about sentiments on closure of Torkham border and reduction in clearance time is the right of the business community
Jamil Nasir, Chief Collector Customs KP while responding to various proposals and complaints, assured that the customs department will take proactive steps to resolve operational level issues but they can only stand with the business community on policy-level matters.
He agreed with proposals of the SCCI delegation and stated that a joint working committee, comprising representatives of the chamber and customs department will be formed shortly to address all issues with mutual consultation.
