PESHAWAR: The importers and exporters of vegetables and fruits here have expressed concern over increase in customs duty because of payment in dollars at Torkham border and warned that if their demand for restoration of payment in rupees was not accepted till March 23 they will stop supply.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, All Pakistan Agriculture Produce and Traders Federation leader Malik Sohni said that in the past the customs department would charge Rs10,000 a truck crossing over to or from Afghanistan, but now the duty had been increased eightfold.

He said that customs officials had now started charging exporters and importers in dollars which had jacked up the duty per truckload to an amount equal to Rs80,000.

He said that the decision would have negative impact on the economy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and would benefit only big businessmen, while common traders were unable to afford it.

After switching over to payment in dollars, he said the fruit and vegetable merchants had suffered huge losses due to stoppage of their consignments from and toAfghanistan, Tajikistan and other Central Asian states.

He said that the new form-E dollar system was financially benefiting the customs officials only rather than contributing revenue to the provincial and national exchequer.

He said this system must be ended immediately as it would promote a culture of corruption.

Flanked by vegetable and fruit exporters and officebearers of Torkham Transporters Khidmatgar Association, Mr Sohni termed the payment of up to Rs80,000 per vehicle an injustice with local exporters and demanded of the government to revise the sharp increase in the duty.

He said that many vegetable and fruit traders were compelled to stop businesses due to the decision.

He said that the government was collecting millions of rupees in taxes from traders, but it had failed to give any facility or incentive to the business community.

He said that if the government would provide US dollars to local exporters according to the rate fixed by the State Bank of Pakistan then they would have no objection to doing business with Afghanistan and paying duty in dollars. -Bureau Report