ISLAMABAD: The Communication Ministry has proposed the imposition of a levy of $1000 on each truck/container transporting supplies to Nato forces deployed in Afghanistan through Pakistan, said Mohammad Ali Gardezi Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA).

“The government sought proposals from the Communication Ministry on the levy to be imposed on Nato containers,” said Gardezi in an exclusive talk with Business Recorder here on Monday.

He further said that the proposal regarding recovery of estimated claims of damages and levy of tax as infrastructure usage charges has been submitted to the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence and it is proposed that a levy of $1000 per Nato container should be charged.A senior official of the Communication Ministry revealed that during the last 10 years, the road infrastructure in Pakistan suffered Rs 100 billion loss due to heavy-loaded Nato trucks, carrying goods to Afghanistan.

He said that a report about claims of damaging assessment of $1.5 billion due to Nato transport have been submitted to the concerned Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

Nato containers left 26 percent of the main highways in deteriorated condition and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of these roads cost $1.36 billion, official maintained.The National High Authority network connects Pakistan to Afghanistan via three routes having a total length of 406km.

The Nato supplies to Afghanistan arrive in the port city of Karachi and are then transported to Afghanistan through two border checkpoints via Pakistan’s road network.