After a passionate appeal by the Baloch traders, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir on Tuesday assured them for undertaking a detailed feasibility study immediately for setting up Export Processing Zone (EPZ) at Chaman.
An official source informed that a delegation of Chaman traders, led by FPCCI Custom Committee Chairman Jalat Khan Achakzai, briefed the minister about the difficulties in the import and export as well as transit of commodities at the Chaman border. The meeting noted that EPZ could be beneficial in enhancing exports to neighbouring countries.
They informed that trade could increase manifold to the neighbouring countries if the federal government facilitated. They proposed that establishment of EPZ at Chaman would resolve major problems of the traders. The minister assured them the facilitation and ordered the initiation of feasibility study, the source said.
An official statement said, the delegation discussed various issues in the meeting that included, easing up of excessive checking by Frontier Constabulary (FC) at Chaman border.
They said it caused undue delay in export of goods and fruits, which was adversely affecting exports as delay at times exceeded one week. They stressed establishment of separate export and transit lanes at the Chaman border so that the pace of exports could be increased. They stressed for creation of an EPZ at Chaman and demanded that they should be facilitated for paying duties at Chaman instead of Quetta.
Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir assured them full support and said that the issue of excessive checking and establishment of separate export and transit lanes at Chaman Border would be taken up with FC IG. The demand for creating EPZ at Chaman and payment of duties in Chaman instead of Quetta would also be taken up with the relevant quarters.
