KHYBER: Importers, customs clearing agents and transporters have complained about the recent imposition of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Ordinance, 2002, at Torkham border and levy of import duty on Afghan “forest produce”, saying the forest department’s move has troubled them alike.

The issue emerged when the forest department set up a checkpoint in Michni near the Torkham border and began snap cargo checking on the Peshawar-Torkham Highway to identify Afghan forest goods and whether import duty was paid for them.

Most importers and customs clearing agents insist they haven’t been informed about the forest tax.

They told Dawn that cumin, mushroom, medicinal plants and herbs, including licorice root, had long been imported from Afghanistan for local consumption.

Move hits hard importers

Importer Zareef Khan resented the newly-imposed duty in addition to custom charges on imported forest goods.

He said the forest department’s move had badly hit the import of forest products via the Torkham border, forcing some importers to shift their business to Balochistan’s Chaman border where those items aren’t taxed.

“At present, the forest officials charge us Rs100 per kg for mushroom and Rs20 for one kilogramme of cumin for which we also make payments to custom authorities at the time of goods declaration process at Torkham,” importer Arman Khan said.

He said the cost of those items automatically increased in the local market, thus reducing demand.

When contacted, Khyber district forest officer Zahid Mehsud said that imposition of duty on forest produce conformed to laws and the duty was being collected after the extension of the KP Forest Ordinance to tribal districts.

He said initially, importers, transporters and customs clearing agents were reluctant to pay that duty and even resisted its imposition, but they eventually yielded after being produced before forest magistrates and the new rules were highlighted.

“We believe that importers and transporters have genuine grievances, but we have our limitations. We also have issues in performing our duties in a congested single room checkpoint at Michni, which we share with staff members of at least three other departments,” he said.

Mr Mehsud insisted that if his staff members were allowed to check vehicles coming to the Zero Point from Afghanistan where customs officials also had the same facility, the issue of double-checking and double taxation could be amicably resolved.

He also said that imposition of custom duty on forest products was the sole responsibility of the forest department.

Meanwhile, officials of the customs department said that they had no issues allowing forest officials to perform duties at the Zero Point provided they approached the chief collector (customs) and took his permission.

“It’s better that the provincial government take up this matter with the Federal Board of Revenue and allow both official entities to work together in a cordial atmosphere,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2025