Customs department, which is supposed to take all possible measures to avoid security risks, is said granting permissions to operate Web Based One Customs (WeBOC) for self-clearance of imports or exports consignments to non-professionals against undue gains.
Talking to Business Recorder, Arshad Jamal, Vice Chairman All Pakistan Customs Agents Association (APCAA), said that WeBOC, which customs claimed as automated system, was not working as per standards, following its manual Risk Management System (RMS). He said that non-professionals were being allowed to use the system for self- clearance of consignments against undue gains creating serious security risks to the country's imports and exports.
On one hand, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has made a six-month diploma mandatory for the license renewal of custom agents, which he termed as justified because it is technical & lawful system. On the other hand, the customs department is giving permissions for self-clearance to non-license or unprofessional persons against undue gains, he maintained.
He alleged that the ID's of WeBOC system were being used by non-professionals, who didn't even know about the tariffs and customs related laws. Moreover, he said that customs department was protecting the said illicit activity as no mechanism had so far been evolved to monitor the process of issuing user IDs of the system. Resultantly, actual taxpayers are facing immense difficulties while dealing with customs related affairs, he added.
Arshad said requested member custom to look into the matter and evolve a proper mechanism for the clearance of goods on self clearance and suggested that the process of the issuance of IDs for self clearance should be done as per licensing rules with the aim to eliminate such malpractices. He also recommended the authorities to monitor the performance of the self clearance and categorise the sector of import through audit and added that member customs should issue instructions to all concerned offices to evolve criterion for evaluating the performance of customs agents in co-ordination with APCAA for license renewal.