TEXT: Pakistan Customs is celebrating the International Customs day in unison with the World Customs Organization under the theme of “scaling up Customs digital transformation by embracing a data culture and building a data ecosystem”. In principle, this theme indicates the direction Customs Organizations world over should take to enable them to perform the heavy task mandated by their respective countries.
Evidently, technology averse Customs administration would neither be able to support its country’s industry and innovation nor protect it from cyber-attackson its economy in a highly digitized world. This is therefore a do or die situation and smart nations have been quick to adopt a data culture.
On this account I am very proud to say that Pakistan Customs has already embarked on this journey leading the Pakistan Single Window Project which when completed should be no less than world class. It will totally transform Pakistan’s cross border trade, directly reducing the cost of doing business and linking our industry into the global value chain.
On the enforcement side, data and analytics will enable Pakistan Customs to thwart illicit cross border trade, thereby protecting our society from its harmful effects. Pakistan Custom’s performance is measured by the revenue it collects, as a department within FBR, yet my Administration remains cognizant of its other significant mandates like trade facilitation, industry protection and trade competitiveness by cutting un-necessary costs. On all these counts, I am very proud to say that Pakistan Customs has tremendous achievements to showcase during the past year or so.
To steer Pakistan Customs in the right direction, we are replacing our logo and motto of 1975 “Integrity, Efficiency and Courtesy” with “Enforce, Facilitate and Progress”, which calls for us to undertake the additional roles of growth and development partners, like rest of the Customs administrations, rather than a mere revenue generating body. This shift in focus is in line with international best practices and the ever changing role of a dynamic organization. We are proud to have in our ranks dedicated and world class personnel who are ready to take on this mammoth responsibility of supporting Pakistan’s economic and social growth. I wish everyone a great International Customs Day.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022