The National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce has urged the Ministry of Commerce to devise a mechanism to ensure a speedy resolution to the day-to-day issues being faced in the transits through borders and ensure a free flow of goods.
The committee held its 27th meeting at the Parliament House with Syed Naveed Qamar in the chair on Thursday.
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, briefed the committee on transit via Taftan border with Iran to the Central Asian Republics, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Turkey, etc. He said the Ministry of Commerce supported the recommendation of parliamentarians to facilitate transit via the Pakistan-Iran border for exports.
Abdul Razak Dawood informed the NA panel that Pakistani logistics companies were getting TIR licenses and this practice by the banks would leave no possibility of transit through Iran. He said the State Bank of Pakistan was not issuing E-Forms for the exports to Central Asian Republics and other bordering countries with Iran for transit via Iran, although there were no banking transactions taking place between Iran and Pakistan for transit of goods through Iran.
The Chair pointed out that a large number of complaints about the goods stoppage were being received from borders. He emphasized that the Ministry of Commerce must formulate a mechanism for a quick resolution to the day-to-day issues while ensuring a free flow of goods at the borders.
The committee also discussed a ban on livestock and poultry. The Ministry informed the committee that Peshawar High Court had lifted the ban on the export of poultry and its products. The Ministry congratulated the Chair and members of the committee for their interest and directives regarding the presence of this case in the court of law as a top priority.
The committee also discussed a starred question referred from the Assembly. The committee deferred agenda items relating to the status of previous recommendations, and “The Trade Organizations (Amendment) Bill, 2021” for the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by Muhammad Yaqoob Shaikh, Mian Muhammad Shafiq, Sajida Begum, Farukh Khan, Usman Ibrahim, Rana Iradat Sharif Khan, Rasheed Ahmed Khan, Tahira Aurangzeb, and Syed Javed Ali Shah Jelani, MNAs. The meeting was also attended by MNA Zille Huma, and senior officers from the Ministry of Commerce.
