Sunday, July 18, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan trade negotiators are heading towards a consensus on leaving the issue of allowing transit facility for Indian goods via Pakistan land route to Afghanistan for final settlement at the level of political leadership of both the countries, official sources informed here on Saturday.
Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan on second day (Saturday) continued their deliberations on proposed Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). The 7th round of APTTA talks were planned for two days i.e. July 16-17 and now it is expected that talks will continue on third day (Sunday) for a possible breakthrough.
Pakistan side has conveyed to Afghan delegation that India has already rejected Pakistan’s request for allowing transit facility to Pakistan via Indian land route to Nepal and Bhutan. It’s not possible for Pakistan to grant this facility to India without getting similar treatment from India.
Both sides realised after the talks that transit facility for Indian goods is an issue that requires a settlement at highest political level of the contracting states. This is a sensitive issue and cannot be resolved at official level, said a senior government official.
Two working groups i.e Trade Working Group deliberated different clauses of the proposed APTTA and Working Group on Customs deliberated on Customs Protocol and Transport Protocol.
Official sources informed that during deliberation on Transport Protocol Pakistan side has demanded Afghan side to accept condition of bank guarantee equal to the value of Afghan goods transport vehicles to be allowed to carry Afghan cargo from Pakistan. In case Afghan transporter bring in to Pakistan his goods transport vehicle without payment of taxes and duties and sells it in local market it would cause an economic loss to the local auto industry as well as a loss of due taxes and duties on import of vehicle.
On the issue of visa permits for the drivers and allied staff that would be allowed along with their goods transport vehicles for carrying imported cargo or export cargo, both sides are of the view that visa permits should be for a period of minimum three months to one year at least. Otherwise embassies of both the countries at Islamabad and Kabul would remain engaged in issuance of visa permits and with limited staff it would become a permanent difficulty for the diplomatic staff to handle.
The meeting only agreed to resolve the visa requirement issue for Afghan truckers already arriving in the country to pick and drop goods of their country. Currently, drivers, cleaners and other persons with the trucks arrive in Pakistan without formal visa procedures. The meeting decided that the immigration departments of both countries would finalise the modes and procedures to issue visas to the truckers.
A Pakistani official attending APTTA talks informed that Customs Protocol would be discussed after competition of talks on Transport Protocol. The Customs Protocol that is more important for Pakistan aims at agreeing to a mechanism for having effective control over border smuggling causing huge losses to both the developing economies.
Official sources informed that USAID is finalising a study on quantum and value of cross border smuggling and its findings are expected by September 2010. In the absence of concrete data on volume and value of cross border smuggling Afghan side is hesitating on accepting Pakistan’s proposed measures for control on border smuggling. Afghan side believes that APTTA would serve both the countries for decades to come and new transit trade agreement should have a permanent mechanism on curbing border smuggling and is of the view that there is no need to go for interim measures proposed by Pakistan for control on border smuggling.
While, the teams of both Pakistan and Afghanistan continued to negotiate in the local hotel. Afghan negotiators were regularly briefing four members of the economic team belonging to the US embassy. One of the Afghan officials said that the US observers were only updating themselves over the pace of progress of talks.
He said that finalisation of a new Afghan Transit Trade agreement was in the best interest of the region as illegal trade and unauthorised movement of goods and humans are also supporting the activities of the extremists and the militants. However, the officials belonging to both sides said that there was no external pressure over the talks and each country was moving ahead in the best of their national interest.
Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan on second day (Saturday) continued their deliberations on proposed Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). The 7th round of APTTA talks were planned for two days i.e. July 16-17 and now it is expected that talks will continue on third day (Sunday) for a possible breakthrough.
Pakistan side has conveyed to Afghan delegation that India has already rejected Pakistan’s request for allowing transit facility to Pakistan via Indian land route to Nepal and Bhutan. It’s not possible for Pakistan to grant this facility to India without getting similar treatment from India.
Both sides realised after the talks that transit facility for Indian goods is an issue that requires a settlement at highest political level of the contracting states. This is a sensitive issue and cannot be resolved at official level, said a senior government official.
Two working groups i.e Trade Working Group deliberated different clauses of the proposed APTTA and Working Group on Customs deliberated on Customs Protocol and Transport Protocol.
Official sources informed that during deliberation on Transport Protocol Pakistan side has demanded Afghan side to accept condition of bank guarantee equal to the value of Afghan goods transport vehicles to be allowed to carry Afghan cargo from Pakistan. In case Afghan transporter bring in to Pakistan his goods transport vehicle without payment of taxes and duties and sells it in local market it would cause an economic loss to the local auto industry as well as a loss of due taxes and duties on import of vehicle.
On the issue of visa permits for the drivers and allied staff that would be allowed along with their goods transport vehicles for carrying imported cargo or export cargo, both sides are of the view that visa permits should be for a period of minimum three months to one year at least. Otherwise embassies of both the countries at Islamabad and Kabul would remain engaged in issuance of visa permits and with limited staff it would become a permanent difficulty for the diplomatic staff to handle.
The meeting only agreed to resolve the visa requirement issue for Afghan truckers already arriving in the country to pick and drop goods of their country. Currently, drivers, cleaners and other persons with the trucks arrive in Pakistan without formal visa procedures. The meeting decided that the immigration departments of both countries would finalise the modes and procedures to issue visas to the truckers.
A Pakistani official attending APTTA talks informed that Customs Protocol would be discussed after competition of talks on Transport Protocol. The Customs Protocol that is more important for Pakistan aims at agreeing to a mechanism for having effective control over border smuggling causing huge losses to both the developing economies.
Official sources informed that USAID is finalising a study on quantum and value of cross border smuggling and its findings are expected by September 2010. In the absence of concrete data on volume and value of cross border smuggling Afghan side is hesitating on accepting Pakistan’s proposed measures for control on border smuggling. Afghan side believes that APTTA would serve both the countries for decades to come and new transit trade agreement should have a permanent mechanism on curbing border smuggling and is of the view that there is no need to go for interim measures proposed by Pakistan for control on border smuggling.
While, the teams of both Pakistan and Afghanistan continued to negotiate in the local hotel. Afghan negotiators were regularly briefing four members of the economic team belonging to the US embassy. One of the Afghan officials said that the US observers were only updating themselves over the pace of progress of talks.
He said that finalisation of a new Afghan Transit Trade agreement was in the best interest of the region as illegal trade and unauthorised movement of goods and humans are also supporting the activities of the extremists and the militants. However, the officials belonging to both sides said that there was no external pressure over the talks and each country was moving ahead in the best of their national interest.
-www.dailytimes.com.pk
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