PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): In an effort to contain smuggling, Pakistan has slapped a 10 per cent processing fee on items imported under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA).
Calculated at 10 percent of the original value of goods, the fee has to be paid in advance in the declaration process for transit items entering Afghanistan via Pakistan.
The Customs Department notification (SRO1381 of 2023) indicates the items affected include confectioneries, chocolates, footwear, various machinery, blankets, home textiles and garments.
But the goods declarations filed before Oct 3 will not be subject to the new provisions, according to the notification.
The decision comes after a volley of complaints from local businesspeople that certain goods bound for Afghanistan are secretly brought back into Pakistan.
“Despite Afghanistan’s transit trade demand being $1bn to $2bn per year, we have observed a significant rise. This fee is expected to deter those involved in illicit trading,” Dawn quoted an official as saying.
Under ATTA, the official said, Pakistan reserved the right to impose processing fees on cargo.
Following the 2021 political change in Afghanistan, Pakistan provided tax and duty exemptions on commodities, including fruits and vegetables.
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