ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has notified procedure for issuance of temporary admission document (TAD) under Afghan Transit Trade.
The FBR issued SRO 802(I)/2022 to amend Customs Rules, 2001 by inserting new rule 482A.
In March 2022, Pakistan and Afghanistan implemented movement of transit and bilateral trade through TAD for commercial vehicles.
Under the arrangement, the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul and the consulate generals in Jalalabad and Kandahar will issue TAD for Afghan vehicles. The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad and consulate generals in Peshawar and Quetta will issue the entry documents for Pakistani vehicles.
The move, aimed at improving regional connectivity with the Central Asian States, envisages the provision of TAD to transporters from both sides.
“482A. Procedure for issuance of TAD.- Notwithstanding the provisions of rule 482, initially the following procedure and conditions shall be followed for issuance and regulation of TAD, namely:-
(1) Directorate of Transit Trade, Karachi and Afghanistan Ministry of Transport shall share list of approved transport operators and their vehicles before starting issuance of TAD. When new transport operators and their vehicles are added to the list, the other side shall be informed via email, immediately. Both sides shall nominate focal persons for timely exchange of this information. Proper and complete record of all approved transport operators and their vehicles shall be maintained by the both sides;
(2) The list of approved Afghan transport operators and their registered vehicles shall be forwarded by Directorate of Transit Trade, Karachi to the concerned officers in the Embassy of Pakistan, Kabul and the Consulate General of Pakistan at Kandahar and Jalalabad and the list of approved Pakistani transport operators and their registered vehicles shall be forwarded by Afghan authorities to the concerned officers in the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad or the Consulate General of Afghanistan in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar.
(3) the application of TAD by Afghan approved transport operators for Afghanistan registered vehicles, as per Appendix-IIIA, along with required documents, shall be collected on all working days at window No. 5 of Pakistan Embassy in Kabul and Pakistan Consulate in Kandahar during 1100 to 1200 hours. Whereas applications for TAD for Pakistan registered vehicles as per Appendix-IIIB shall be collected on all working days at Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, and Afghan Consulate General in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar during 1000 to 1100 hours;
(4) no fee shall be charged application form. Both availability and shall also or consulate websites downloadable;
(5) Trade Officer or Commercial Assistant posted at commercial section in Pakistan Embassy, Kabul and at the Pakistan Consulate General in Kandahar shall issue the TAD for vehicles registered in Afghanistan. The Transport Attaché, Afghan Embassy at Islamabad, and Afghan Consulate General in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar Pakistan shall issue the TAD for vehicles registered in Pakistan. The format of TAD is enclosed as Appendix IIIC.
(6) at the time of issuance of TAD, by Pakistani authorities, to approved transport operators of Afghanistan for an Afghan registered vehicle, the particulars of the vehicle shall be cross-verified with the details sent by the Directorate General of Transit Trade, Karachi;
(7) TAD shall be issued against payment of fee of US $ 100. The TAD fee collected by Pakistan Embassy or Consulates in Afghanistan shall be transferred to the account of Directorate General of Transit Trade on monthly basis. A bar code having all the details of the vehicles may be embossed on TAD;
(8) TAD shall be issued within five working days of receipt of applications;
(9) validity of TAD shall be 180 days (06 months) from the date of issue with the option of multiple entries with the maximum one time stay of 30 days in Pakistan and Afghanistan;
(10) statement of TADs issued by Pak Embassy and Consulates shall be finished to the designated focal person of Directorate of Transit Trade, Karachi on daily basis via email and Afghan side will develop same system on their side;
(11) TAD shall be valid for one vehicle at a time and only for the carrier to whom it was issued; it shall not be transferable to other carriers;
(12) any unauthorized entry or tampering in TAD shall render it void and invalid.
(13) Pakistan customs shall be entering each entry or exit journey on the back page of TAD; the same shall be done by Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Afghanistan;
(14) security and safety of the TAD in the home country shall be the responsibility of the transport operator. If the TAD is lost in the home county, the transport operator in whose name the TAD is issued shall first register an FIR and then apply for a new TAD by providing a copy of the FIR. The embassies or consulates shall inform the relevant authorities, to cancel that TAD in their record;
(15) security and safety of the TAD in the territory of the other contracting party shall be the responsibility of the driver of the vehicle. If the TAD is lost, the driver shall first register an FIR in the nearest Police station and shall inform the transport or customs authorities. For exit on the crossing points he shall provide the documentary proof of his lawful entry and copy of FIR lodged with the police. The embassies or consulates shall inform the relevant authorities, to cancel that TAD in their record;
(16) if the vehicle goes missing in the territory of Pakistan, the driver will immediately report the incident to the nearest police station and register the FIR. He shall submit the copy of FIR in the office of the nearest Customs Enforcement Collectorate. The transport operator in such cases will be liable to pay duties and taxes leviable on the goods as ascertained by Pakistan Customs. Similar procedure will be adopted by the other contracting party in their territory.
(17) the TAD will be valid for both bilateral and transit trade at following BCPs:-
(a) Torkham (transit and bilateral trade)
(b)
(c) Chaman (transit and bilateral trade)
(d) Ghulam Khan (transit and bilateral trade)
(e) Kharlachi (bilateral trade)
(f) Angoor Adda (bilateral trade)
The cabotage is not allowed. Any violation of this rule will result in black listing of the vehicle and cancellation of TAD.
(18) the respective Directorate of Transit Trade shall act as focal formation for TAD for transportation of transit as well as bilateral goods.
(19) The following documents shall be filed by the applicant transport operator for obtaining TAD:
(a) application form as per format given in Appendix IIIA and Appendix IIIB;
(b) expired TAD of the Vehicle (in original) this shall be required after 180 days of operationalization;
(c) copy of National ID Card or passport of the owner;
(d) copy of registration book of the vehicle;
(e) copy of license or authorization issued by Afghanistan Ministry of Transport to transport operators of Afghanistan for international carriage of goods or copy of license or authorization issued by Pak customs to transport operators of Pakistan for international carriage of goods;
(f) a valid fitness certificate shall be required for Afghan vehicles after every 180 days;
(g) picture of the vehicle for record purpose; and
(h) serially numbered authority letter issued by the
relevant transport operator.
(21) the contracting parties shall, in accordance with their respective laws, rules and regulations, grant multiple entry visa to the driver and one helper of the vehicle valid for a period of one year, each stay not exceeding 30 days. In exceptional circumstances the Ministries of Interior of the two countries will consider the request for extension of VISA after fulfilment of legal requirement.
482B. The arrangement prescribed through rule 482A is a temporary arrangement which will prevail till formalities under Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, 2022 are finalized and would cease to have effect from the date FBR notifies.
