Pakistan Customs celebrating World Customs Day
Pakistan Customs along with the rest of the world is celebrating World Customs Day on January 26, 2016. This year’s theme is “Digital Customs: Progressive Engagement”.
Pakistan Customs has been making rapid progress on the automation and digitization front as well as governance and enforcement was been improved significantly.
Leadership is the most important thing, which guarantees efficiency, and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) aware of this phenomenon has posted competent, disciplined and honest officers to lead the formations.
It goes without saying the move has delivered, which is reflected in revenue collection growth as well as reduction in revenue leakage whether it be smuggling, under-invoicing, mis-declaration and other scam. Customs has been quite hard against smuggling lately and the menace been reduced to a minimum. In the last three years, FBR has been a vibrant organization introducing and implementing unprecedented reforms. The most important measure was the rationalization of tariff and reduction of SRO regime as these concessionary SROs were only benefitting a handful of individuals in the cost of national revenue.
M/s Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) set up on developing Web Based One Custom (WeBOC) from 2009, which finally replaced the PaCCS at KICT, PICT and QICT in 2011. After its successful takeover of all the operations under PaCCS it was soon vibrantly rolled out to all Pakistan and at present it has now taken over all operation under PACCS and also that of One Customs except for a very small segment which is operating under One Customs which will be replaced by We BOC in coming months.
WeBOC system connected with the banks through State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and this would provide a check on movement of money.
Corruption is always on the rise in a country like Pakistan and the prime reason of corruption in various departments is lower salaries and absence of perks and facilities, that compel even the honest officials to wrongdoings. Moreover rewards and incentive mechanism in place has been shelved which serves as discouragement.
There is a need to eliminate disparity between government and private sector remuneration packages, which would most importantly lift the morale of employees. Meanwhile, a continuous process of accountability is equally important.
Although, things are going in a right direction now in Federal Board of Revenue because of the vision of the Board, but masses are not mistaken in fearing that these good days may be short lived unless the system is developed.