Monday, September 22nd, 2025
Home »Business and Economy » Pakistan » KPT urged to charge Afghan transit cargo on actual weight

  • News Desk
  • Feb 8th, 2005
  • Comments Off on KPT urged to charge Afghan transit cargo on actual weight
The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has been requested to make amendment in their wharfage and port storage tariff and charge Afghan transit cargo on actual weight. Presently, the charges are double of the actual weight. Haji Nazir Ahmed, chairman, Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Council (PIFFC) of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), has highlighted this as one of the problems relating to Afghan transit trade in a letter sent to Karachi Customs.

While pointing out that in KPT 14 free days are allowed but in Port Qasim eight free days are allowed, it has been suggested that one free time of 14 days for intransit shipments in both ports be fixed.

He has at the same time lauded the action of the Pakistan customs, which has waived off the examination of intransit cargo and also No Objection Certificate (NOC), which is no longer required from the Central Board of Revenue (CBR), for shipment of peace keeping forces, relief shipments, NGOs and Afghan government shipments, UN shipments and diplomatic shipments, etc.

Haji Nazir Ahmed, who is also CEO of Manzoor Nazir Logistics, has further suggested that the National Logistic Cell (NLC) must not use the services of private transporters/contractors. NLC use own trucks up to Chaman/Vesh and Peshawar/Torkham and deliver the cargo to their nominated contractors at Vesh or Torkham for forwarding delivery at Afghan destinations.

In KPT, he said, the Afghan transit shed is very small and the same is always full with the down intransit goods. Therefore, the shed where Afghan cargo lands/stored be treated as Afghan transit shed and concessional rates be charged.

Transportation of over gauge/heavy cargo and refer cargo be allowed by private commercial trucks via Peshawar/Torkham and Chaman/Vesh under customs escorts.

Regarding the intransit shipment to/from China and CIS countries, he said that Pakistan customs must immediately allow the facilities for shipments to/from China and Central Asian States via following available routes:

Karachi/Chaman by rail /Vesh/Kandhar to CIS destinations., Karachi/Peshawar by rail/Torkham/Kabul to CIS destination, Karachi/Quetta/Zahidan by rail to CIS destinations, and Karachi/Rawalpindi dry port by rail/Gilgit/Sost via China to CIS destinations.

Haji Nazir Ahmed expressed the hope that all intransit shipments will move smoothly via Pakistan, in case the above suggestions are accepted.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005


the author

Top
Close
Close