News Paper: Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD (July 20 2010): People trading with Afghanistan Monday expressed grave concern over the government's decision to allow Afghan trucks to carry Afghan goods through Wahgah to India. Talking to Business Recorder over the phone presidents of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and industry (ICCI) and top economists flayed the government for allowing Afghan trucks access to the Wahgah border, including Karachi port.
President SCCI Riaz Arshad said that the treaty would create serious economic problems for the local people, who are attached with Afghan transit trade, especially the truckers. He said that local truckers are rightly unhappy that they, along with the NLC and Pakistan Railways, will have no role in the activity. Besides, he added, allowing Afghan trucks inside Pakistan will also badly affect the transport system in the country as Kabul has right-hand drive vehicles. "Afghanis drive on the right while Pakistanis drive on the left, which will badly disturb the traffic system in the country, besides causing accidents.," he explained.
Before signing the agreement, he added, the government should have ensured that if and when the trade starts, it does not harm the local transporters' business interests in any way. "Like Indian transporters taking care of their segment of the route, Pakistani transporters should also carry the goods to the two designated border points at Torkham and Chaman", he maintained.
President Quetta Chambers of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) Ghulam Farooq told this correspondent on telephone from Quetta that it is totally one-sided agreement which will badly affect the fragile economy of Pakistan. He said that the agreement will increase the smuggling ten-fold as it is already a major source of concern. He went on to say that the agreement would cause huge revenue losses to the economy, and adversely impact local businesses. We have called an emergency meeting on July 22 of all the stakeholders, he said, which include truckers to chalk out a strategy regarding the recently signed Pak-Afghan transit trade.
President Pak-Afghan Truck Union Haji Gul Zarin Khan said that allowing Afghan trucks via Chaman to Wahgah border and Karachi port would be disastrous for local transporters, besides leaving hundreds of local people jobless. He said that Pak-Afghan transit trade agreement is tantamount to economic murder of Pakistani truckers, which will be resisted tooth and nail. Zarin said that they would never allow Afghan trucks to enter Pakistan via Chaman.
Zahid Maqbool, president Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) said the government has given a free hand to Afghan transport units in Pakistan by allowing them under new APTTA to carry goods from Afghanistan to Wahgah border for export to India. He said it would badly affect the business of local transporters who are attached with Afghan transit trade and will also create new security problems for the country.
Meanwhile, former Finance Minister Dr Salman Shah said that the existing Afghan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) accounts for 75 percent of an estimated $5 billion worth of smuggled goods entering Pakistan annually. Many of the items imported under APTTA, are not even meant for the Afghan market.
He proposed to the government to take tangible steps to eradicate smuggling. However, he appreciated allowing Pakistan to export its goods to Central Asia through Afghanistan under APTTA.
He stressed that if Afghan containers and trucks are allowed to carry goods up to Lahore, then the Pakistani containers and trucks should also be allowed reciprocal facility, ie to carry Pakistan's goods through Afghanistan to Central Asia and for this purpose road links should be established with Central Asia.
When asked to comment on Afghanistan Pakistan transit trade agreement, Dr Ashfaq Hassan Khan said that it would not generate any economic benefit for Pakistan; rather it would result in increased smuggling and tax revenue loss for the Pakistan and hit the local industry
-www.brecorder.com
President SCCI Riaz Arshad said that the treaty would create serious economic problems for the local people, who are attached with Afghan transit trade, especially the truckers. He said that local truckers are rightly unhappy that they, along with the NLC and Pakistan Railways, will have no role in the activity. Besides, he added, allowing Afghan trucks inside Pakistan will also badly affect the transport system in the country as Kabul has right-hand drive vehicles. "Afghanis drive on the right while Pakistanis drive on the left, which will badly disturb the traffic system in the country, besides causing accidents.," he explained.
Before signing the agreement, he added, the government should have ensured that if and when the trade starts, it does not harm the local transporters' business interests in any way. "Like Indian transporters taking care of their segment of the route, Pakistani transporters should also carry the goods to the two designated border points at Torkham and Chaman", he maintained.
President Quetta Chambers of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) Ghulam Farooq told this correspondent on telephone from Quetta that it is totally one-sided agreement which will badly affect the fragile economy of Pakistan. He said that the agreement will increase the smuggling ten-fold as it is already a major source of concern. He went on to say that the agreement would cause huge revenue losses to the economy, and adversely impact local businesses. We have called an emergency meeting on July 22 of all the stakeholders, he said, which include truckers to chalk out a strategy regarding the recently signed Pak-Afghan transit trade.
President Pak-Afghan Truck Union Haji Gul Zarin Khan said that allowing Afghan trucks via Chaman to Wahgah border and Karachi port would be disastrous for local transporters, besides leaving hundreds of local people jobless. He said that Pak-Afghan transit trade agreement is tantamount to economic murder of Pakistani truckers, which will be resisted tooth and nail. Zarin said that they would never allow Afghan trucks to enter Pakistan via Chaman.
Zahid Maqbool, president Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) said the government has given a free hand to Afghan transport units in Pakistan by allowing them under new APTTA to carry goods from Afghanistan to Wahgah border for export to India. He said it would badly affect the business of local transporters who are attached with Afghan transit trade and will also create new security problems for the country.
Meanwhile, former Finance Minister Dr Salman Shah said that the existing Afghan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) accounts for 75 percent of an estimated $5 billion worth of smuggled goods entering Pakistan annually. Many of the items imported under APTTA, are not even meant for the Afghan market.
He proposed to the government to take tangible steps to eradicate smuggling. However, he appreciated allowing Pakistan to export its goods to Central Asia through Afghanistan under APTTA.
He stressed that if Afghan containers and trucks are allowed to carry goods up to Lahore, then the Pakistani containers and trucks should also be allowed reciprocal facility, ie to carry Pakistan's goods through Afghanistan to Central Asia and for this purpose road links should be established with Central Asia.
When asked to comment on Afghanistan Pakistan transit trade agreement, Dr Ashfaq Hassan Khan said that it would not generate any economic benefit for Pakistan; rather it would result in increased smuggling and tax revenue loss for the Pakistan and hit the local industry
-www.brecorder.com
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