Pakistan and Afghanistan launch new cargo trade mechanism

Temporary Admission Documents (TADs) to be issued to vehicles to carry out cross-border trade

ISLAMABAD:The Ministries of Commerce of Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to implement the mechanism of the Temporary Admission Document (TAD) effective from May 1, 2024, to streamline and regulate the movement of cargo vehicles engaged in bilateral trade between the two countries.

As per documents applications for TADs for Afghanistan-registered vehicles will be accepted on all working days at window No. 5 of the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul and the Pakistan Consulate in Kandahar from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM daily.

For Pakistani-registered vehicles, applications will be collected at the Afghanistan Consulate Generals in Quetta and Peshawar from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on working days.

Application forms will be available at the embassies and consulates and can also be freely downloaded from their respective websites. TADs will be issued within five working days of receiving the applications.

The TAD will become valid from the date of issuance, and separate documents will be issued for the vehicle, driver, and cleaner. A fee will be charged only for the TAD of the vehicle, while the passes for drivers and cleaners will be free of cost.

Each TAD is valid for one vehicle and is non-transferable. The document, issued for a fee of USD 100, will be valid for six months and allow for multiple journeys.

The Federal Board of Revenue has notified about the TAD mechanism via SRO 702(I)/2024 dated May 23, 2024.

The Directorate General of Transit Trade in Peshawar and Quetta will share a list of approved transport operators with the Afghanistan Consulate Generals in Quetta and Peshawar.

Transport operators and owners of Pakistani-registered vehicles are encouraged to apply for registration at the Directorate General of Transit Trade to operate under the TAD mechanism. Help desks have also been established to assist transport operators.

After June 15, 2024, no vehicle will be allowed to carry bilateral trade between the two countries without a TAD.

The first vehicle from Afghanistan carrying a consignment of coal crossed into Pakistan at the Kharlachi Border Terminal on June 2, 2024, formally inaugurating the mechanism on the ground. Additionally, three vehicles with TADs crossed through Torkham on June 3, 2024.

Ghulam Abbas
Ghulam Abbas
The writer is a member of the staff at the Islamabad Bureau. He can be reached at [email protected]

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