ISLAMABAD: After a delay of 27 months, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday notified rules to implement the Convention on the International Transport of Goods for traffic-in-transit of goods across the border.

Pakistan signed the convention in August 2015 which entails no payment of customs duties and taxes. Islamabad ratified the convention in January 2016.

The Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) is a multilateral treaty that was concluded at Geneva on 14 November 1975 to simplify and harmonise the administrative formalities of international road transport.

As many as 68 countries including Afghanistan have acceded to the TIR convention so far. As a result of this, Afghan government will not check Pakistani trucks carrying goods to Central Asian countries. It will also ensure uninterrupted flows of trucks across the Pak-Afghan border.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2017