Afghan govt imposes new customs tariff to discourage smuggling

Islamabad, June 15 (UNI) The Afghan government has imposed a new customs tariff to help reduce smuggling from Afghanistan to Pakistan.

The media quoted Asad Sakhi Farhad, adviser to the Afghan Finance Ministry telling Pakistani officials at the sixth Pak-Afghan Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting yesterday that the Afghan government had also changed the status of ''several finished products being imported into Afghanistan as raw material, to intermediate products''.

He said this in response to a request by the Pakistani authorities to control smuggling of goods from Afghanistan.

Mr Farhad said that the import duty on items coming into Afghanistan such as fabrics and vehicles had been increased manifold.

The new customs tariff would help control the smuggling of these items into Pakistan because smuggling would no longer be as profitable, he said.

The adviser said that the Afghan government would examine the effect of the enforcement of the new tariff in the coming months, and would continue to adopt such measures for the benefit of both countries.

He also requested the Pakistan government to take effective measures to control smuggling, as ''this illegal trade is depriving the Afghan government of a sizeable amount of taxes and duties.'' Earlier, Central Board of Revenue official Shahid Rahim Sheikh informed the Afghan side that a large quantity of goods imported under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA) was being smuggled back to Pakistan, and asked the Afghan authorities to check this practice.

Most of the items including electrical and mechanical appliances imported for Afghanistan via Karachi port under the ATTA are smuggled back in Pakistan after crossing the border at Torkhum and sold in Pakistani markets causing loss not only to the latter's economy but also depriving Afghan government of duties.

Afghanistan also demanded a land transit facility from Pakistan for its imports from India. However, Pakistani officials said that the issue was being discussed in bilateral trade talks with India, and suggested that the Afghan side wait for the outcome of the dialogue.

Afghanistan also asked Pakistan to remove all items from its negative list, and address ''operational difficulties'' faced by Afghan importers in the transport of goods under the ATTA to attract more Afghan imports through Pakistan.

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