PESHAWAR: The All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association (APCEA) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the one percent Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC) on exports and the reopening of the Torkham Border Crossing for Pak-Afghan trade to help revive commercial and economic activities in the region.
The demands were raised during a meeting of APCEA held under the chairmanship of Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad and Senior Vice Chairman Hanan Khan.On the special invitation of the chairman, founding members of the association, including Khalid Sultan Khwaja, Pervez Elahi Malik, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Mamoor Khan, Mazharul Haq, Engr. Manzoor Elahi, Faiz Muhammad (Faizi), Tahir Hussain, Faqir Hussain, and Mumtaz Khan, along with other prominent businessmen, participated in the meeting.
Addressing the participants, APCEA Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad said that the gemstone sector possesses immense potential to boost economic activity in the region through the export of precious and semi-precious stones to international markets.
He said that businessmen associated with the gemstone industry had been facing multiple challenges over the past few months, resulting in a continuous decline in trade volume, which requires urgent attention from the relevant authorities.
APCEA stated that if gemstone traders were facilitated by the government and the departments concerned, including Customs and Income Tax authorities, the sector could generate substantial foreign exchange for the country.
Iftikhar Ahmad said that despite limited resources, the gemstone sector could emerge as a game changer for the national economy, provided it receives proper government support and patronage.
He also briefed participants on measures being taken by the association’s office-bearers to revamp the APCEA office, making it suitable for meetings with senior federal and provincial officials, as well as foreign delegations.
Former APCEA chairman Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi stressed the need to remove hurdles to trade promotion in the region.He urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to immediately abolish the one percent cess on exports.
Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi also demanded the reopening of the Torkham Border Crossing to restore Pak-Afghan trade activities and facilitate thousands of businessmen, labourers, and daily wage workers associated with cross-border trade.
