Though the traders, growers and manufactures of various products especially the agricultural goods have welcomed the trade through barter system between Pakistan and Iran, the exporters are concerned with the involvement of government on both sides.
The trade and business between government run organizations of the two countries through the barter system would affect the already existing private business of the exporters and importers as in the entire process they were being sidelined, sources told profit. “Government should only facilitate and let the private sectors of the countries to start the trade through the under discussion system,” they said adding that the government run organizations and their involvement in the trade would create problems to the businessmen. “We only face the payment issue in trade with Iran due to the sanctions imposed by US on Tehran, and they government on both sides should only ensure the timely payments to the exporters and importers”, they added.
Besides, the trade through new mechanism, they claimed, would somewhere affect the existing trade/business between the private companies of the countries. It is worth mentioning here that Islamabad was yet to finalise its plan to export one million tons of wheat and 0.2 million tons of rice to Iran in lieu of oil and other goods under barter system. A committee was constituted comprising Minister for Water and Power, Minister for National Food Security and Research, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Secretary Commerce, Secretary Finance, Secretary National Food Security and Research and Managing Director Passco.
According to a report the committee was assigned the task to devise a plan with regard to barter trade with Iran with the following Terms of Reference: (i) to explore the possibility of barter arrangements between Pakistan and Iran; (ii) to accelerate process of negotiations between the two countries for confirmation of the transaction; (iii) to structure barter arrangements between Pakistan and Iran; (iv) to identify the institutions/locations from where stocks will be picked up; (v) to identify the items to be imported from Iran; and (vi) to formulate delegation to visit Iran for finalisation of negotiations.
