IslamabadMaqbool Alam, Secretary-General of the Pakistani Businessmen Forum (PBF), expressed his great concern on Monday due to the great financial losses suffered by Pakistani traders due to strict plant protection measures on the Gabd-REMDAN PAK-JAN border.
In a media statement, Allam revealed that large quantities of watermelon, among the other damaged goods, were wasted, causing the losses of millions of rupees.
Allam said: “Although plant protection measures are necessary, its current implementation has led to an unnecessary hardship for our traders,” Allam said. “I have left large quantities of watermelon, a major export, to spoil the borders due to delay and restrictions, which leads to catastrophic financial effects on the business community.”
Allam emphasized the urgent need for a more efficient and simplified process for plant protection inspections to reduce delay and avoid more losses. He urged both the Pakistani and Iranian plant protection sections to enhance their cooperation to facilitate the smoother border crossings.
He also suggested increasing the resources and employees dedicated to the Gabd-REMDAN border to accelerate this process.
In addition, Allam called for the creation of clear and transparent protocols for plant protection inspections to prevent confusion and delay. He stressed that the government must ensure that merchants are informed immediately of any changes in regulations and procedures, especially to determine the priorities of inspection of goods that can be damaged to reduce damage.
Allam concluded that “Pakistan’s businessmen forum urges the government to take immediate action to face these challenges and provide relief to affected traders.”
