Pakistan imposes processing fee on Afghan transit goods

The government of Pakistan has taken a major step to curb smuggling by imposing a 10 per cent processing fee on goods transiting through the country to Afghanistan, 24News HD TV Channel reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued a notification (SRO 1380) announcing the fee on various items, including confectionaries, chocolates, shoes, blankets, home textiles and garments.
The move comes after a significant increase in the Afghan transit trade following the lifting of the import ban last year. However, despite the removal of the ban, Pakistan's imports have declined by 25 per cent in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.
The FBR sources said that the processing fee on Afghan transit goods was aimed at preventing smuggling and protecting the domestic industry.

Reporter: Ashraf Khan