International Customs Day: improvement in efficiency to meet challenges stressed

In view of increasing role of Pakistan in the international trade, we should improve the efficiency of customs to effectively handle the emerging challenges of globalisation, said Rana Muhammad Akhtar, Collector Appeals for Customs, Central Excise and Sales Tax.
While addressing a select gathering of importers, exporters, clearing agents and trustees of the Faisalabad Dry Port on "International Customs Day" as chief guest, on Friday.
He underlined the importance of customs in regulating international trade in addition to discouraging the smuggling and drug trafficking. He said that the World Customs Organisation has given us an alarming slogan "say no to counterfeiting & piracy" and hence we should keep this slogan in forefront while formulating our national policies.
Continuing, the collector appeals said that we should always honour the international agreements and implement the international policies for improvement of our efficiency. The custom staff, he added, should also improve its efficiency in handling the emerging challenges.
Collector Customs, M.B. Tahir, while addressing the gathering said that custom department was protecting domestic industry in addition to the collection of direly needed revenue for national development. He said that scanners are being installed on all ports to provide protection to our exports at the international level. He added that a proposal has already been forwarded to the CBR for the installation of a scanner at Faisalabad Dry Port.
Collector customs said that the central board of revenue was undertaking reforms for boosting the country's exports .For this purpose, 24 hours custom clearance facility will be provided at all ports from February 1, 2007.
Continuing, the collector customs said that Pakistan has signed an agreement with China for the expeditious evaluation of imports. Similar agreements would also be signed with other countries to increase trade volume by discouraging smuggling, he added. He urged upon the importers, exporters, clearing agents and other related stakeholders to improve themselves in accordance with the fast changing global business environment.
Muhammad Sidique Chaudhry, Chairman Faisalabad Dry Port Trust congratulated collector on organising the customs day in a most befitting manner and said that this private sector dry port had handled 33,000 export and 8,000 import containers worth Rs 85 billion during last year.
Ahmed Kamal, former chairman, Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, Muhammad Ayub Sabir, President, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Muhammad Moazzam Vice Chairman FDPT, Mukhtar Ahmed Sheikh Chairman Faisalabad Garments City, Rana Zahid Tauseef, City District Nazim and Abdul Basit Chaudhary, Additional Collector Customs, Chaudhry Muhammad Anwar, Deputy Collector, Naveed Aziz, AC (Import) Suleman Afzal, AC (Imports) and Abdur Rashid, AC (Exports) also attended the function.
At the termination of the function, shields were presented to the best performers. Chenab Limited was declared best importer and Arzoo Textile won the shield for best exporter. The Collector Customs M.B Tahir also presented a shield to chief guest, Rana Muhammad Akhtar, Collector Appeals.
Later, the custom collector in presence of participants of the function put on fire the pirated CDs. These CDs were confiscated from Faisalabad airport during last year. Earlier, Collector Customs M.B Tahir and Chairman Muhammad Sidique of FDPT also unfurled national and customs flags to mark the international customs day at Faisalabad Dry Port.