ISLAMABAD, July 20: The import value of Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) increased by 6.787 per cent in the financial year 2001-02, and is likely to register growth in the current fiscal year.

Officials sources told Dawn on Saturday that the value of ATT during the previous fiscal year stood at Rs13.594 billion against Rs12.730 billion in the year 2000-01, showing an increase of over six per cent.

The trade witnessed a growth of 39 per cent (13.594 billion) during the year 2001-02 against Rs9.718 billion in the year 1999-2000.

The sources said that following the establishment of the interim set up in Afghanistan, the Afghan traders had started importing goods under ATT to take part in the reconstruction of their war-torn country.

They said the import value of ATT had almost dropped to nil, following the Sept 11 incident till December last year.

However, in the months from December till April, the Afghan importers, after being given security assurances, started taking interest in importing goods under transit trade.

According to the officials, the import value of ATT is likely to register growth in the next months owing to the keen interest of the coalition members in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

During the last fiscal year, it was only in the month of September when the ATT value recorded an increase of 43.87 per cent, touching the figure of Rs1.21 billion against Rs0.841 billion during the same period in the year 2000-2001.

Informed sources told Dawn that the government was considering announcing more items to be imported under the ATT in the trade policy of 2002-03 scheduled to be announced on July 24.

Recently, a trade delegation, led by two Afghan ministers, visited Islamabad, requesting the Pakistani government to allow more items to be imported under ATT. These items mostly include electronic goods.

The Afghan importers have also reportedly sent a request to the commerce ministry, seeking permission for electronic appliances to be included in the list of ATT.

Currently, the appliances are included in the negative list, which could not be imported under ATT for fear of being smuggled back to Pakistan through the porous border between the two countries.

Major items of transit trade are sugar, plastic goods, blankets, heaters, padlocks, battery cells, pencils and lighters.