The 1st Meeting of Transit Trade Committee of the TTCC was held at the ECO Secretariat on December 14, 2008, with the participation of delegations from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. The representatives of International Road Transport Union (IRU) and UNCTAD also attended the meeting.
The meeting considered ways of implementing Article 28 of the TTFA, regarding establishment of a customs transit system for the cargo and means of transport in the region.
The meeting decided to have a joint programme of action with IRU on effective implementation of the TIR Convention in the ECO region. This programme would include the capacity building in Member States, as well as activities and projects necessary for promotion of TIR system in the region. The UNECE would also consider joining this initiative.
The meeting discussed ways and means for effective implementation of Article 5 of the TTFA. According to this Article, traffic in transit by motor vehicles shall be exempt from customs duties, taxes and other charges except charges for specific services rendered in accordance with domestic legislation, including toll taxes, road maintenance fee, etc.
As Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only ECO Member States where TIR system is not applied, the meeting decided to have two National Workshops in those member states with collaboration of IRU and UNECE.
In line with Article 29 of the TTFA, the meeting requested the Contracting Parties to take necessary measures to simplify the customs control of means of transport, goods, luggage and passengers passing through their territories.
The meeting requested the member states who had not yet established their National Inter-ministerial Committees for border crossing facilitation and promotion of international transport to do so at the earliest. While appreciating the creation of National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee (NTTFC) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Meeting requested UNCTAD and other relevant organizations to assist, if necessary, those ECO member states who had not yet set up such mechanisms.
The representative of IRU briefed the meeting about major activities relating to identification of actual physical and nonphysical barriers to road transport across Euro-Asian land mass.
[Home] [Contact us] [Feedback] [Back]