Exporters call for resumption of trade via Chaman

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan’s federal government has been urged to hammer out a strategy for the resumption of trade with Afghanistan via Chaman.

Exporters from southwestern Balochistan province, who issued the call, have been hard hit by the suspension of bilateral trade for more than three months.

Traders from Balochistan and Karachi complain they have been unable to meet export demands from Central Asian States, particularly Turkmenistan.

For over three months, Dawn reported, no exports, imports or transit cargos to Afghanistan had happened through the Chaman customs stations.

The newspaper quoted a Balochistan customs official as saying the closure of the Chaman crossing led to a monthly revenue loss of around Rs2 billion for the government.

The Chaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the federal government to declare Chaman a dry port and rapidly develop the necessary infrastructure.

Daroo Khan Achakzai, a business leader, also asked Islamabad to create a free trade zone in Chaman with tax benefits to lure investment, create jobs, promote trade and boost exports.

As part of a plan shared with the federal government, a regional strategy involving Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republics has been outlined.

Warehousing has been proposed in Chaman to spur imports from Central Asia and Afghanistan and their exports to foreign destinations via Pakistani seaports..

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