Azakhel dry-port to finally be made fully operational

Dry port had not been fully operationalised after being inaugurated by PM Imran in January last year and still lacks basic facilities

PESHAWAR: The Ministry of Railways (MoR) and Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) have agreed to take joint measures to fully operational the Azakhel dry port in order to facilitate Pak-Afghan Transit trade and boost exports.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between Federal Minister for Railways, Azam Khan Swati and delegation of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led by its president Hasnain Khurshid Ahamd at the Ministry of Railways Islamabad, according to a press release issued here on Monday.

During the meeting, the SCCI chief said that FBR is willing to allow cross stuffing of transit goods at Karachi port and Azakhel port but needs the consent of the Ministry of Railways as transit goods will be loaded in single truck bonded carriers.

He informed that KP is exporting items like furniture, mineral, marbles, matches and honey, etc. but exporters were facing lots of problems owing to unavailability of bonded carriers in Peshawar to carry the exports goods to Karachi port for onward destinations.

The SCCI president presented a five point agenda for facilitating Pak-Afghan transit trade through the dry port and resolving issues being faced by exporters which the minister directed to implement at the earliest.

Aziz Buneri
Aziz Buneri
Aziz Buneri covers financial, social, political and regional issues for Pakistan Today and Profit. He can be reached at [email protected]

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