Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) Chairman and Standing Committee on Railways and Dry Port and Frontier Customs Agents Group (FCAG), Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, has assured all possible cooperation to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in connection with the establishment of Azakhel Dry Port.
He was briefing Chief Collector (North) Sarwat Tahira Habib during her visit to Azakhel to review the establishment of the proposed Azakhel Dry Port at Azakhel the other day.
Others who accompanied the chief collector were included Collector, Customs, Peshawar, Qurban Ali Khan, Additional Collector, Chief Collectorate, Islamabad, Ayesha Wani, Additional Collector Customs, Peshawar, Fazal Samad, Deputy Collector, Dry Port, Zakir Mohammad Khan, Deputy Collector, Adeem Khan, Deputy Collector, Anti-Smuggling, Ali Asad, Superintendent, Dry Port, Aziz-ur-Rehman Khattak and other senior officials of Pakistan Customs.
He welcomed the decision of Collector Customs Qurban Ali Khan for operationalising of Azakhel Dry Port.
However, he said that the Customs Agents would be ready for it after the provision of all kind of facilities at Azakhel Dry Port. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was bestowed with natural resources and the largest number of the industries of marble, gems, handicrafts, furniture, honey, herbs, carpet and matches are in the province and facilities were provided in the existing dry port then these goods will be exported from it.
He said that the establishment of Azakhel Dry Port was the long standing demand of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Frontier Customs Group and he urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to come forward and talk to Pakistan Railways in an effective manner and also start the clearance of Afghan transit trade from the same dry port.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Collector (North) Sarwat Tahira Habib appreciated the briefing of Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi regarding taking of practical steps for the establishment of dry port and problems faced by the importers and exporters.
She while agreeing with his proposals said that the FBR was ready to issue notification for the establishment of the proposed Azakhel Dry Port Customs Station. She assured that the FBR would play its due role in the establishment of Azkhel Dry Port. However, she also sought the guidance and assistance of KPCCI and Frontier Customs Agents Group in this regard.
On this occasion, Collector Customs, Peshawar, Qurban Ali Khan proposed initiation of work on Azakhel Dry Port with immediate effect which will provide facilities to business community in exports and imports.
