The Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation (DGI&I) has proposed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to establish five separate Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Preventive at Quetta, Peshawar, Sukkur, Lahore and Rawalpindi to effectively check imports/exports and conduct anti-smuggling operations.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that the Customs Collectorates across the country were overburdened. According the DG intelligence recommendations, presently there is one separate Preventive Collectorate at Karachi, which primarily deals with anti-smuggling and drug interdiction. As against this the preventive functions performed all over the country except for Karachi by a single Collectorate of Customs, primarily dealing with imports and exports and passenger movement at the international airports. This arrangement was suitable 15-20 years ago.
However, over the years the responsibility of customs has increased manifold due to ever-increasing volume of international trade. The situation became worse due to stoppage of intake of fresh blood at various levels and downsizing of the Customs Department. In the given circumstances, it has become difficult for one Collectorate to handle the high volume of imports and exports, and also perform anti-smuggling and anti-evasion functions simultaneously, DG intelligence said.
In order to effectively place a check on evasion of duties and taxes, and to control the smuggling of goods and drugs within the country, five separate preventive Collectorates have been proposed to be established at Quetta, Peshawar, Sukkur, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
The DG intelligence added that the challenges faced by customs administration were manifold including globalisation of business and trade, complex new governance rules, international terrorism, environmental protection, and poverty reduction. The responsibilities in relation to the international movement of goods have broadened, and will continue to do so, from the traditional role of collection of duties and taxes, to include executing controls and other activities that serve a wider set of government objectives. A good example of how customs responsibilities have broadened to encompass other government objectives can be found in the trade security arena. The increasing number of security threats has certainly changed the focus of customs administrations over the past ten years and various customs administrations have shifted focus from the more traditional roles of managing compliance to imposing measures that would enhance trade security. In the context of Pakistan this is more than required as obvious from the recent scams in transit trade unearthed by the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation.
In view of the foregoing, it is imperative to enhance the capacity of customs department by developing the skills of existing human resource in line with their future role, through need-based training programs and inducting fresh blood for catering to the needs of customs at all strategic locations, DG intelligence added.