Members of business community have been assured that the government is sincere in the implementation of Pakistan Automated Customs Clearance System (PaCCS), and negotiations with Agility, the software provider company, are underway in this regard.
This assurance was reportedly given by the Collector of Customs, PaCCS, Nisar Muhammad Khan, in a meeting with businessmen here last week, an insider told Business Recorder on Tuesday. The company is making all-out efforts to facilitate the members of business community and importers to file their Goods Declaration online while sitting anywhere, using the assigned user Ids, and making some necessary changes in the system, to increase its performance.
He suggested to the businessmen and importers to use one ID, and avoid multiple user Ids, so that the system could easily identify and recognise the applicant and the delays and problems are removed. For delays in the release of consignment, he suggested that National Bank of Pakistan be contacted to increase counters for collecting payments. Customs department has requested the trade bodies to send recommendations to National Bank of Pakistan for increasing the number of counters.
The collector said that limited numbers of counters at NBP are badly impacting the performance of PaCCS because users associate delays in clearance of GDs with this automated system which was an entirely wrong perception. Some vested elements are playing their role in damaging the reputation of PaCCS prestigious automated solution provided by Agility.
Nisar said that when PaCCS is properly implemented, it will show its built-in strength and capabilities. The system has the strength to clear any type of consignment within five days, with capacity to reduce the duration further. PaCCS is a one-window system; web-enabled, and carries out all activities related to customs from anywhere in Pakistan. The system can clear cargo 365 days a year, day or night. All declarations are processed by highly advanced processing and Risk Management Systems.