Transit trade: DGTT Karachi authorised to manage, supervise cargo scanners

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Monday authorised the Directorate General of Transit Trade, Karachi to manage and supervise all container/cargo scanners including customs integrated scanning systems for meaningful utilisation at ports by the concerned customs officials.

The FBR Monday issued SRO1017(I)/2022 to amend the SRO 609(I)/2020 pertaining to the powers, functions and jurisdiction of the Directorate General of Transit Trade, Karachi.

According to the notification, the directorate would be empowered for the establishment of a Customs Integrated Scanning System through the use of the latest technology.

In this regard, the Directorate shall, inter cilia, perform the laid down functions under the SRO1017(I)/2022.

The directorate would be engaged in planning and managing all the matters relating to the establishment of the customs integrated scanning system and getting control rooms integrated with the scanners installed at any port, terminal or custom station in the country and are used or intended to be used for Customs procedure of Non-Intrusive Inspection.

The directorate would have the authority for operations and maintenance of all Customs scanners installed or to be installed under any project such as RCA, PRRP, ITTMS etc and all matters relating to the training of the Custom officers in the field of image analysis or interpretation; planning and establishing the central and local control rooms, wherever needed, and all matters including financial, human resource management etc. for meeting operational requirements of control rooms.

The directorate would be assisting the collectorates and the directorates by interpreting, analyzing and reporting upon scanned images of containers or cargo relating to import, export, transit, trans-shipment or any other stream of cargo with the help of trained image analysts working at respective control rooms and providing solutions to secure the integrity of bonded cargo being transported from point A to point B, by matching in the system the scanned images taken at both points.

The directorate would work as a designated focal point for providing Customs input and requirements relating to existing as well as planned scanners for installation at any custom stations, whether these scanners are already procured or to be procured by the FBR or the Government of Pakistan or any international organisation or donor agency, the FBR added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022