December 27, 2001	Thursday	Shawwal 11, 1422

ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: The government has decided zero-rated export of about 16 more items to Central Asian Republics (CARs) and Afghanistan via land route, an official source told Dawn on Wednesday.

Commerce ministry has worked out the items, which would be notified shortly by making further amendments in SRO 514 dated July 12, 2001, the source added.

The items which were likely to be allowed at zero rate of duty included: pesticides, poultry feeds, veterinary medicines, pulses, surgical instruments, stationary items, process and packed food, tomato sauce, soft drink, milk cream, mineral water, honey, tinned fruits, soap detergents, ghee and cooking oil, all machinery and appliances, all plastic products/goods, aluminium utensil, pvc pipes and polyethylene sheets, adhesive tapes, all cotton and woollen textile products, carpet yarn, synthetic yarn and blankets.

These items has already been cleared by the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) to be allowed at zero rate of duty to Afghanistan and CARs.

The total number of exportable items to Afghanistan and CARs would now be around 30.

The exporters after fulfilling all the condition laid down in the notification would be eligible for the normal duty drawback.

According to the source, only those items would be allowed to be exported for having very bleak chances of smuggling back into the country.

However, to avoid the smuggling back of these items into the country, the source said, Pakistan embassy or consulate in Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad will verify the arrival of export consignments from Pakistan.

Moreover, each individual packing of consignment should bears indelible and prominent mark “For Export only— Not for sale in Pakistan”.

The relevant officials attached high importance to the duty exemption on the proposed items and were of the opinion that it would help boost export to CARs and Afghanistan.