PAJCCI urges waiver of EIF, E form for 6 months to avoid halt in Pak-Afghan trade.

KARACHI -- The Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) on Thursday urged the government to continue waiver of EIF and E-Form for six more months to avoid Pak-Afghan transit trade.

The PAJCCI, in a statement, said the waiver of EIF and E-Form would expire on April 30. It would further increase the problems of the business communities across the border as both the correspondent and commercial banks were shy of engaging with Afghanistan despite US relaxation in sanctions for facilitating commercial transactions.

It said in a meeting with the high authorities of Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce and Federal Board of Revenue, it once again pointed out the devastating effects caused by banking limitation, suspension of cash on counter facility and crunch of foreign exchange. The situation was aggravated by requirement of EIF and E form that should be suspended till an alternate mechanism was in place or at least for next 6 months.

"The FBR, Ministry of Commerce and other senior government functionaries had earlier agreed that in absence of...