MIRPUR (AJK): The government of Azad Jammu & Kashmir will provide all possible facilities to the ongoing intra-Kashmir trade on Line of Control (LoC) to make it more vibrant and objective.
This was stated by AJK minister for Finance, Planning and Development Ch.Latif Akber while addressing a seminar entitled “Possibilities and Challenges” held late Wednesday to mark 7th anniversary of the cross-LoC trade being exercised between Azad Jammu & Kashmir and the Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir.
It may be added that the weekly trade between both sides of the LoC in the Himalayan Jammu & Kashmir state was launched on October 21, 2008.
AJK minister for P&D and Finance Latif Akber continued that 30 and 47 kanals of land has been acquired respectively in Garhi Dopatta and Hajeera, close to this side of the LoC respectively in Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot divisions for the construction of the intra-Kashmir trade markets, to be established in the near future, he added.
The minister strongly advised to the Jammu & Kashmir Joint Chambers of Commerce & Industry and the AJK Trade and Travel Authority to improve their bilateral coordination to help resolve the problems confronted by the intra-Kashmiri traders in exercise the trans-LoC trade.
The minister also directed the Trade & Travel authority to manage the early inslation of mega scanners at both of the crossing points on Muzaffarabad-Srinagar and Rawalakot-Poonch routes for the due facility of the traders.
He highly appreciated the untiring efforts of the AJ&K Joint chamber of Commerce & Industry for the promoting cross LoC trade.
The minister strongly directed the JK Department of Commerce & Industry to immediately remove the hurdle in the way of registration of the JK JCCI in AJK.
He also advised the AJK Department of Commerce and Industry to immediately move for ensuring the introduction of banking system for the bilateral exchange of transactions against the invoices of the trans-LoC traded goods.
The AJK minister strongly suggested increase in maximum of the locally-produced items for their exchange between AJK and IOK through the cross-LoC trade by enhancing the current list of the permitted items. So that local traders could be benefitted of the cross LoC-trade in letter and spirit.
Director General of AJK Trade & Travel Authority Brig. (Retd) Imtiaz Ahmed Wain, AJK Chapter President of J&K Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry Zulfiqar Abbasi and representatives of the cross-LoC traders organization also addressed the seminar.
Source: APP