20 January 2005	Thursday	09 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 19: The value of goods imported under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA) has registered a growth of 105.5 per cent during the first half of the current fiscal year over the corresponding period of last year.

Official figures compiled by the commerce ministry released here on Wednesday showed that the value of goods imported under ATTA stood at Rs13.784 billion during July-December 2004-05 as against Rs6.706 billion the same period of last year.

The massive growth in the volume of trade under ATTA was the result of the waiver of infrastructure cess by the Sindh government and withdrawal of around eight items from the negative list of the agreement.

In December 2004 the value of goods imported under ATTA stood at Rs4.065 billion compared to Rs1.349 billion the same month last year, showing an increase of 201.4 per cent.

Further analysis showed that goods imported through Torkham customs station stood at Rs3.650 billion during December 2004 as against Rs0.982 billion over the same month of the last year, a rise of 271.6 per cent.

While goods imported through Chaman customs station stood at Rs415 million during the month under review as against Rs367 million over the same month of the last year, up by 13.07 per cent.