QUETTA: Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Commerce Mirza Khan Afridi, in a press meet here on Monday, said that the government is committed to bringing an end to smuggling.
Mr. Afridi also said that the government wants to encourage legal trade with Iran and Afghanistan. Mirza Khan Afridi was addressing a press conference called by the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI).
Trade remained suspended at the Pak-Iran border for the seventh consecutive day following a strike call by the provincial chamber against the Pakistan Customs and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
“I will take up the issues faced by the business community with the chairman FBR and if needed will approach Prime Minister Imran Khan,” committee chairman said assured the businessman that their issues are ebing heard.
Senator Afridi acknowledged that the business community was paying huge duties and taxes on imports and exports to discourage smuggling and boost legal trade in the province. “The annual earning on account of federal excise duty and other taxes has been reached over Rs24 billion from Balochistan,” Senator Afridi was quoted as saying in media reports.
Meanwhile, QCCI President Ghulam Farooq Khilji bemoaned the attitude of Pakistan Customs and FBR Balochistan officials, alleging that they are discouraging legal trade by seizing legally imported scrap from Iran.
“Despite checking by the Customs Appraiser at the Taftan border and paying all duties and taxes, some of trucks loaded with scrap were stopped at Dalbandin and Nushki by Customs Prevent. The officers claim that the Appraiser wrongly cleared ‘scrap’ which did not come under scrap definition,” he was reported as saying.
