KARACHI, Oct 17: For the first time, Pakistan is going to participate in the meeting of the Federation of International Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA) being held in Dubai from Oct 18 to 20.

The congregation of global companies involved in logistics, freight forwarding and transport business is expected to discuss the growing need of trade and find out a solution to some of the problems being confronted by the FIATA members.

Pakistan will be represented by chairman, Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association (PIFFA) Babar Badat.

The government is already working on many fronts to create a National Trade Corridor (NTC) to facilitate trade.

A chain of facilities starting from country’s ports to market places and end-consumers will have to be developed. For this, a hassle-free and efficient infrastructure will have to be developed.

Different government departments involved in providing services to trade and industry are being automated. The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has already introduced Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) under Customs Administrative Reforms (Care) to auto-clearance of import cargo.

Similarly infrastructure is also being developed for quick haulage of goods by constructing expressways and motorways. All sort of bottlenecks around port areas are being removed for smooth entry and exist of trucks.

After reducing free time by ports to trade for imported cargo warehousing facilities are also being developed in order to remove cargo from ports in shortest possible time.