A high powered Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) delegation will be flying to Kuwait in the next few days to finalise the protracted negotiations with Agility Logistics relating to the purchase of Pakistan Automated Customs Computerised System (PaCCS).
Agility officially announced on Monday that it has re-established access to the system on the commitment that payment of access fee will be made on Monday by FBR and that it would welcome FBR officials in Kuwait as it would want nothing more than to resolve the issue which has lingered for too long. Agility had shut down the system when its negotiations with high officials of FBR failed on the purchase of the system. Agility said it has been involved for considerable time in negotiations with FBR in the hope of finding solution to the issue - the long standing dispute and to secure fair compensation for its investment in Pakistan over the last six years and its continued provision of services to the country.
To see the country grow in the field of customs and automation, Agility has provided FBR with every opportunity to resolve the dispute on reasonable terms but the revenue body took all its gestures for granted, Agility said. FBR, it further said it had recently committed to resolve all matters by July 31, 2011 and the FBR was forewarned that unless all matters were resolved by that time and in the absence of payment of an access fee, Agility would simply have no alternative but to deny access to the system.
Disappointingly, FBR failed to resolve the dispute and also failed to pay a monthly access fee to the company, Agility said, adding that in the circumstances it had regrettably had no alternative but to cut off the system as it simply cannot continue to provide services over a period in excess of six years without fair and reasonable compensation.
The Agility statement further said: "It is with absolute regret and disappointment that Agility has been forced to respond in this manner. Agility has always honoured its commitment to the trade community and extended the system to their benefit." Since, the FBR today (Monday) committed to make payment for access fee pending the resolution of dispute, Agility re-established access to the system accordingly.