Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Dr Muhammad Irshad Thursday said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would open a new world for Pakistani customs authorities in anticipation of huge clearances of import/export while Gwadar Port would also play a key role in customs clearance processes.
Addressing a large gathering of customs officials, diplomats, importers/exporters representatives of international donor and Law Enforcement Agencies on the occasion of World Customs Day at Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Islamabad, Dr Irshad said the role of Pakistan's customs would be considerably enhanced under the CPEC project and CPEC is a whole new world for the customs officers.
Tax authorities asked the customs to fully prepare themselves to effectively handle the imports and exports under the CPEC.
FBR Chairman said that Pakistan's customs, which is an integral part of the FBR, is facing major challenges. The FBR is ready to resolve housing and logistic issues of the customs department by removing bottlenecks in functioning of the department. An exclusive sector/housing scheme should be developed for the customs department.
He said that the job of Pakistani customs officials is very challenging and different from rest of the world. The job of Pakistani customs officials is very difficult keeping the anti-smuggling and counterterrorism activities at ports in view. The customs is playing a key role in controlling terror financing which took place in the form of narco-trade or smuggling of drug money across borders. The lives of Pakistani customs officers are threatened at ports due to terrorism and security issues at border customs stations. There should be a specific Shuhada Fund for those customs officials who lost their lives while protecting economic borders of the country.
In this regard, he saluted lower customs staff working day and night at border areas including Chaman, Torkham and Wagha, etc, without any fear.
The chairman FBR highly appreciated the performance of MCC Islamabad in breaking all previous records of revenue collection during 2015-16 and current fiscal year. He also announced two months salary as a reward to the sepoys, who gave guard of honour at the MCC Islamabad ceremony.
The WCO has devoted this year's International Customs Day to the theme "Data Analysis" with the slogan "Data analysis for effective border management." All operations managed by Pakistan Customs are incomplete without data analysis, and for an effective border management whether at sea, air or land, data collection, its analysis and an intelligent inference drawing process go hand in hand, he said.
Highlighting importance of data analysis, he said that without authentic data, customs cannot play its due role of assessment and clearances. The computerised customs clearance systems, Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) and integrated transit trade management system are some of the processes using data analysis for different purposes.
After successful operations against the terrorists, the government is moving ahead towards integrated transit trade management system, he maintained.
The FBR has witnessed growth of 20-22 per cent in revenue collection during current fiscal. He was confident that the momentum of growth would be maintained in the remaining period of 2016-17, Dr Irshad added.
Chief Collector of Customs (North), Sarwat Tahira Habib highlighted the achievements of Pakistan Customs. She also asserted the need for working even harder to achieve the parallel goals of trade facilitation and customs controls.
She said that customs as an organisation has substantial clearance data and web-based customs automation which, if analysed intelligently, can improve border management. Moreover, co-ordination with other government agencies and commercially available data can improve the effectiveness of Customs and its border controls. "Collecting data is, however, not enough until and unless we design a mechanism of systematic analysis of this data which can improve our risk assessment and risk management," she added.
She pointed out certain irritants to improved performance including lack of recruitment and slow promotion at lower grades in Customs; legacy issue of IRS - Customs Options (future of 3000+ posts hanging after 7 years) and need for Horizontal expansion especially in view of specific CPEC needs and enhanced role of customs preventive work.
She said that effective monitoring by Customs in the Northern Region resulted in increased collection of revenue, as Northern Region was able to collect Rs 38,138 million(8% increase) in 2015-16 in comparison to Rs 33,025 million collected in 2014-15. Not only there was improved revenue collection but through improved Border Controls some very good cases of currency, Gold and Narcotics smuggling were detected by customs staff stationed at Islamabad and Peshawar Airports. The detection of 8.5kgs and 4.5 kgs Gold by staff stationed at Peshawar Airport which was a result of effective monitoring of passengers by the Customs Officers. This year due to better passenger profiling at Torkham and Peshawar Airport, the Collectorate was able to seize foreign currency equivalent to Rs 72 million and Gold valuing equivalent to Rs 71 million. Similarly, currency equivalent to PKR 15 million and 21 Kg Heroin and 20 liters of Ketamine smuggling were detected by MCC Islamabad. This included detection of currency concealed in folds of clothes, Heroin concealed in cavities of suit cases and stitched cloths, she added.
Chief International Customs FBR, Dr Muhammad Zubair Yousfani highlighted that the data analysis would maximise the trade facilitation. The data analysis would be also instrumental in facing the challenges of enforcement at ports. He also explained in detail the benefits of risk management system and post clearance audit which are necessary for effective customs clearance system backed by data analysis.
The Collector of Customs, MCC Islamabad Dr Arsalan Subuctageen informed that with an exemplary team work, Model Customs Collectorate, Islamabad has broken all previous records in the past one year and has excelled in all fields, including tax payer and passenger facilitation, revenue generation, target achievement, anti-smuggling, recovery of arrears, auctions, follow-up of legal cases, settlement of audit paras, establishment of K-9 section of sniffer dogs and in all other areas of performance.
All customs operations are incomplete without data analysis and for an effective border management whether at sea, air or land, data collection, its analysis & an intelligent inference drawing process goes hand in hand, Collector MCC Islamabad added.
In the end of the ceremony, certificates were distributed in acknowledgement of the meritorious services rendered by outstanding officers and officials of Pakistan Customs Service.
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