System evolved to block cargo clearance by fraud

The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has acquired technology to block consignments of those importers who were involved in evasion of duties and taxes at one port, but managed to clear consignments containing same goods through other dry ports.
Official sources said on Monday that it was a general practice of delinquent importers to simultaneously use different ports for clearance of consignments in cases where customs officials of one port unearthed under-valuation/under-invoicing or other kinds of tax frauds committed by them. On the other hand, these importers use ports for clearance of goods where their tax record is clean.
Due to the absence of computerised data sharing among different ports, it was difficult to trace importers who were blacklisted by one port, but they got their consignments cleared from other ports. Secondly, the discretionary powers of customs officials could not be checked in cases where they inadvertently permitted clearance of those importers who indulged in fraud at other ports.
Officials said that implementation of the new ''One Customs'' Project has enabled the ports/dry ports to share information about importers who have committed any kind of tax frauds. Under the project, if an importer''s consignment is blocked by one port, the information will be immediately communicated to other ports, where the same importer will have to face the clearance of the consignment as per law. This situation is creating serious problems for certain importers whose cases are under adjudication proceedings, whereas they deliberately use other ports for clearance of such consignments.
Sources said that there is panic among certain importers, whose consignments were blocked at a dry port, but they are still unaware of the fact that it is the backlash of fraud committed earlier at some other dry port.
Quoting an example, officials said that if a consignment has been held up by Lahore Dry Port, the same importer would be unable to clear the consignments from Karachi Port or Peshawar Dry Port.
Till now, ''One Customs'' system has been successfully operating across the country linking all dry ports.
The primary link of communication through ''One Customs'' project has been given at the Karachi Custom House, Lahore Custom House, Lahore Air Freight Unit (AFU), Lahore Mughalpura Dryport, Multan Custom House, Multan Dryport, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Islamabad CBR House, Islamabad I-9 dryport, Islamabad, Air Freight Unit, Peshawar Air Freight Unit, Peshawar Custom House, Quetta and Hyderabad.
The ''One Customs'' project has enabled customs to share information relating to imports/exports transaction using centralised database. The project will help in processing of documents eg file goods declaration from any Collectorate, assessment by any collector, examination of goods on site (any customs station), payment at any Collectorate.
The system will also be helpful in optimal clearance through online processing of transhipment data, safe transportation of goods and acknowledgement.