As the National Logistic Cell has announced its plan of installing more scanners at Wagah Border Terminal to facilitate trade between Pakistan and India, business community has termed the decision absolutely useless because scanners create hurdles in trade activities.

They were of the view that due to restriction of passing trucks through scanners the pace of trade is restricted and limited trucks cross the borders. There is no need of installing scanners on the excuse of security as consignment is not hidden in containers at Wagah rather is loaded and unloaded openly by the labourers.

The Pak-India trade Promotion Committee Convener and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry former Vice President Aftab Ahmad Vohra said that scanners are requirement of seaport where containers are used for transportation and they are not needed at land port. He said government is spending billions of rupees on import of scanners which is wastage of national money. It is to be noted that NLC is purchasing additional scanners for installation at Wagah.

They are of the view that installation of additional scanner at Wagah will help accelerate trade between Pakistan and India. It has already acquired land at import/ export points in the country to develop terminals, apart from providing warehousing and display centres where Pakistani exporters will be able to display their goods closer to the zero point and strike deals with importers on the spot there.

Replying to a question, Aftab Vohra asked the government to ensure presentation of business community in the newly-announced Pakistan Land Port Authority (PLPA) on the patron of Karachi Port Trust, which also includes members from Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said that private sector representation at Federal and Provincial levels would ensure implementation of decisions in letter and spirit, therefore at least 50 per cent members should be taken from the private sector. He hailed government decision to establish PLPA and demand of the government to give proper representation to private sector in authority.

He said that it is good sign that the government has accepted demand for establishment of such an authority at land borders in order to transform our land ports into efficient facilitators of trade while simultaneously being responsive to security issues and smuggling.

He said that since the very birth of country, economy has never been a priority and all economic issues were always put on back burner but now is the time to adopt a realistic approach as world has become a global village.

He said that apparently strategic framework is very attractive but since government has not given any framework for the provision of electricity and gas to the industry, it would be very difficult even to achieve the existing economic targets.

He said that laws need to be introduced to ensure continuity in policies because every now and then policies are changed without giving a single thought to their ramifications.