ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (APP): Member Pakistan Customs-Operations, Mukarram Jah Ansari on Thursday said that Pakistan Customs foiled a number of dollar smuggling bids in the current year which amount to $5 millions.
Pakistan Customs has taken several measures in the last six months to stop dollar smuggling at Pak-Afghanistan borders including Chaman border and airports, Ansari told APP here.
He said that according to the government’s policy of carrying dollars abroad, the individual limit was $10,000 dollars per visit, which was reduced to $5,000 and $30,000 per year for any individual.
He said that still the limit of taking dollars from Pakistan to Afghanistan is $1,000 dollars one-way, which goes up to $6,000 dollars annually.
Mukarram said that the electric trade data agreement between Pakistan and China is likely to be finalized in the next two months. “This exchange of real data between Pakistan and China will promote mutual trade between the two countries and help in ending smuggling and under-invoicing between them.”
He added that the use of virtual assessment and new technology will help in documenting the regional trade and it will also be beneficial for the economy of Pakistan. He said that during the recent visit of the President of Tajikistan, an agreement was signed between Pakistan and Tajikistan on the exchange of electric trade data. After this agreement mutual trade between Pakistan and Tajikistan will be documented.
He said that for the promotion of regional trade, a similar agreement with Iran and Kazakhstan is likely to be signed with Pakistan in the next few months, which increases the possibility of documenting the regional economy.
He said that Pakistan Customs is extremely important to prevent illegal trade. “We are playing a major role in which the system is integrated with the State Bank of Pakistan, NADRA and other relevant national institutions,” he said adding that in the last six months, several reforms were implemented in Pakistan Customs, which reduced illegal trade and at domestic and foreign level.
Mukarram said that these measures of Pakistan Customs will increase ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and foreign investors will show interest in the country’s economy.
