He suggested that the Frontier Corps should be given the responsibility to manage the border so that the goods were cleared within 24 hours.
“Earlier, only 10 per cent cargo was being checked at Karachi port, but now all of the cargo goes through the checking process. This is a time-consuming activity and should be avoided.”
He said the FBR-Director General Transit Trade has further complicated the issue by making it mandatory for containers to be scanned at the borders. “The scanners at the Afghan border can only scan up to 50 containers per day, thus the trade vehicles have to wait for weeks at border points.”
Meanwhile, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Senior Vice President Shahid Hussain stated that all departments were present at Torkham border, “and if they want, they can easily resolve all the traders’ problems”.
Hussain urged the government to make the import/export clearance process easier, adding that drivers of transit vehicles should be allowed to take goods up to Kandahar and Kabul.
“The National Logistic Cell has installed scanners [at borders] and they claim it is their responsibility to scan the vehicles. On the other hand, customs’ officials claim that only they have the authority to issue clearance letters. This confusion is only wasting the time of traders. Under the Import and Export Agreement and the Customs Act, the authority of all departments has been clarified, but it needs proper implementation,” he added.