KARACHI: A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Pakistan Customs (Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan) on the organization of electronic data exchange.

Accordingly both the parties have reached the consensus to establish a sustainable, effective, readily accessible and secure mechanism for electronic exchange of data to facilitate Trade (Import, Export and Transit through Sea and Air).

The implementation of this MoU shall be carried-out keeping in view the technical provisions contained in the Interface Control Document to be finalized within one month of signing of this MoU.

This MoU provides for faster Customs clearance, accuracy of Customs Data, authenticity of Customs documents i.e. Goods Declaration, Certificates of Origin, invoices and chemical analysis certificates etc. and the need to impart technical training amongst Customs Officers of the Parties.

Both the parties have agreed upon establishing vibrant means for ensuring enhanced interaction and cooperation amongst Customs officers.

Customs Service Tajikistan and the Pakistan Customs have agreed upon to establish the Electronic Data Interchange, which is an integral part of this MoU.

Several other agreements were signed between the two countries:

– A government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Pakistan on transit trade between;

– A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on establishing sister-city relations between the city of Dushanbe of the Republic of Tajikistan and the city of Islamabad of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan;

– A government-to-government between Tajikistan and Pakistan on cooperation in the field of industry and new technologies;

– An agreement on cooperation between the Agency for Standardization, Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection under the Government of Tajikistan and Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), Ministry of Science and Technology of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in the field of standardization, metrology and conformity assessment;

– A government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Pakistan on cooperation in the fight against illegal trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors;

– A MoU between the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan and Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources on cooperation in the field of basic research;

– A MoU between the National University of Tajikistan and the Peshawar University of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.