ISLAMABAD, March 7: The government has allowed exports of all kinds of items, including vegetable ghee and cooking oil under duty drawback scheme to Afghanistan.

The government also notified negative list of items for exports to Afghanistan under duty drawback scheme, including dyes and chemicals, yarn all types, PVC and PMC materials, polyester materialized film, ball bearings, cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes of tobacco or of tobacco substitutes, vegetable ghee and cooking oil (if exported from export processing zones or manufacturing bonds).

The Ministry of Commerce issued a notification on Thursday, amending the export policy and procedure order 2000. The notification also superseded the earlier notifications in this connection.

The export of vegetable ghee and cooking oil will be allowed, excluding that manufactured in manufacturing bonds in case of exports to Afghanistan only.

However, the export will be allowed on the conditions of value addition of 15 per cent for edible uses in packs up to five litres for cooking oil and five kilograms for vegetable ghee and 50 per cent value addition in non-edible uses in packs up to one-and-half litre or half kilogramme.

According to the notification, exporters will be allowed zero rating of sales tax on taxable goods, rebate of central excise duty and repayment for drawback of customs duty on all items and commodities produced or manufactured in Pakistan via land route or by air except those in the negative list against irrevocable letters of credit or advance payment, in convertible foreign currency.

While in case of petroleum and its products, the export to Afghanistan will only be carried out by the refineries and approved oil marketing companies.

Exporters can avail these facilities following the fulfilment of all the conditions: The Pakistan embassy or consulate in Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad shall verify the arrival of export consignments from Pakistan; package or retail packing shall prominently and indelibly be marked with the expression “For Export Only”.

And in case of international donor agencies “For Export Only — supply for aid to Afghanistan (insignia of the organization) — not for sale in Pakistan”; export shall be allowed only through authorized export land route, ie Torkham and Chaman and export from export processing zones and manufacturing bonds, except vegetable ghee and cooking oil, shall be allowed, but these exports shall not be entitled to zero rating of sales tax on taxable goods, rebate of central excise duty and repayment or drawback of customs duty.

The notification said that export of all commodities produced or manufactured in Pakistan, excluding those manufactured in manufacturing bonds will be allowed via land route against Pak rupee on filing of regular shipping bills without form “E”. However, such exports will not be entitled to zero rating of duties.

Exports of such goods as were made by or on behalf of UNHCR, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, ICRC, WHO, FAO, UNICEF against international tenders, as relief goods to Afghanistan will be allowed the facility of normal duty drawback.