Afghan and Pakistani Traders Meet in Ningarhar to discuss Trade Issues

On the 12th of June, trade delegations from Pakistan and Afghanistan met in the Afghan province of Ningarhar. The meeting was aimed at discussing bilateral trade issues that the two countries face regarding. The gathering was attended by: His Excellency Gul Agha Sharezai the Governor of Ningarhar, several traders from both sides, Customs Directors from the two countries, representatives from the U.S. and U.K. governments and the Export Promotion Agency of Afghanistan.

The topics of discussion ranged from customs, non-tariff barriers and the implementation of the law. Both sides had the chance to voice their concerns and complaints about the issues at hand, as well as suggest solutions to their counterparts. Afghanistan and Pakistan are major trading partners, yet the existence of red-tape and bribery on both sides’ strains traders from fully utilizing the economic opportunities. Trade between the two nations is worth billions of dollars annually.

In the second part of the program, the heads of the Customs Department of the two countries listened to the complaints of the opposing side and signed a declaration of mutual understanding and promised to solve the problems faced. In addition, the Pakistan side offered to host a Regional Economic Conference in the near future to address the above mentioned issues.