Indian traders stop exports from Attari ICP indefinitely.

In a setback to the Indo-Pak trade through the newly-built Integrated Check Post (ICP), traders have stopped exports to Pakistan for an indefinite period to protest against high handling charges. While no truck crossed over to Pakistan on Friday, 80 trucks came from across the border. However,
Indian traders did not lift the imported goods.

Ever since the ICP became operational, Indian exporters and importers were claiming that they were asked to pay high charges for trade through the new check post.

A couple of meetings between traders and officials of the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and Land Port Authority of India (LPAI) failed to address their concerns.

With things not moving forward, traders finally decided to stop trade, claiming that they would not budge from their stand till a solution was worked out.

Traders claimed that they were asked to pay Rs. 200 for each loaded truck entering the ICP from the Indian side and Rs. 200 for an empty truck entering the ICP to pick goods coming from Pakistan.

They were also dissatisfied over storage charges levied for various commodities by the CWC. The warehousing corporation was charging Rs. 3 per tonne for gypsum and some other commodities coming from and going to Pakistan. Storage charges increase by the day if a commodity was not lifted.

Source : hindustantimes.com