Agility threatens to shut PaCCS operations from May 15

Agility Logistics, a software developer of Pakistan Customs Computerised System (PaCCS) has warned the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) that it will shut PaCCS operations from May 15, 2010. Sources told Business Recorder on Tuesday the move is aimed at pressing the board to sign formal agreement with the company.
The Agility Logistics, which has developed the software being used in PaCCS, has given a deadline of May 15 to the board. And if the deadline lapses without any accord, the PaCCS operations would completely be suspended that would cost billions of rupees loss to the national kitty, sources said.
They said the company had volleyed the same threat to the board before the announcement of last budget. Now the same tactics are again being applied before the budget 2010-11 to enjoy further relaxation, sources opined. But this time, the board is poised to face any consequence in case of rejection of the demands of the company. The board in this connection has already suspended the process of issuing IDs to importers besides excluding in-bond and baggage goods declarations from PaCCS.
Sources said the developer of the software claimed that it would make customs clearances quick and simple and all relevant information would be available for traders at their fingertips but the software has failed to substantiate the claims. Moreover, they said the developer had further claimed that it would cover the entire spectrum of customs functioning from the arrival of the vessel to clearances, adjudication, seizures, refunds and auctions but the older computer system (One-Customs) is reverted time and again to clear consignments.
Member customs Munir Qureshi in his recent interview to Business Recorder had also confirmed that the department is gradually eliminating the role of the UAE-based software developer in PaCCS and this process would be completed within six months. Despite removing bugs identified by the department in the software, running since March 2005 for the operation of PaCCS, the company keeps on demanding expansion of the operation of the software at all ports, which left no option but to induct new software developer for the purpose, Qureshi added.
He said the board has decided interim replacement of the Agility software with One Customs (paperless), which was developed by Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (Pral) and being successfully run at Islamabad airport. "Several factors including audit report of PaCCS, the US military report, etc, led to taking the said decision," he said. He said the department would like to go for an open bidding to acquire the services of an off-the-shelf customs product such as 'Asycuda World', NACCS, Trade Net, Unipass, etc, in case of Pral failure.