PESHAWAR: Chief Collector Customs North Sarwat Tahira Habib has visited the proposed site for Azakhail dry port and assured that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will soon issue a notification to establish a well furnished dry port to facilitate the business community.
She was accompanied by Collector Peshawar Customs House Qurban Ali, agents group Senior Vice President Khalid Shehzad, Additional Collector Customs Peshawar Fazal Mohammad, Deputy Collector customs Adeem Khan, Deputy Collector Anti smuggling Ali Assad and Superintendent Dry Port Aziz-ur-Rahman. On this occasion, president of the Customs agent groups appraised the chief collector of the problems facing the business community in Peshawar.
President of the Custom Agents groups Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi welcomed the decision of Collector Qurban Ali for to activate Azakhail dry port for importers and exporters. He said that due to lack of facilities in Peshawar dry port exporters are loading their goods in private trucks and paying customs duty in Karachi for foreign countries. He said that due to lack of empty buses of Pakistan railway, exporters have not been provided to send their goods through this dry port.
He said that God has bless Khyber Pakthunkhwa with numerous resources as gems, valuable stones, matches factory and other goods are being exporters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and if proper facilities were provided, then it can earn hand some revenue for the province. He added that Aza Khail dry port was long awaited demand of customs agents group as well as business community and if this dry port was made functional then it will ease all problems of the exporters and customs agents groups.
He also demanded FBR officials to take steps for the upgrading the Aza Khail dry port and hold negotiation with Pakistan railway to provide all facilities on this dry port to make it enable for afghan transit trade and clearance process. He said that if this dry has started its work, it will not only earn revenue for railway but will also enable to FBR to generate revenue.
Chief Collector North appreciated the president customs agents group and assured him to resolve their problems regarding facilitation at Peshawar and Aza Khail dry port. Collector Peshawar Qurban Ali suggested to speedy work on facilitation process in Aza Khal and Peshawar dry port to address the grievances of exporters. President Custom Agent groups thanked chief collector and collector Peshawar for taking their issues seriously.