KARACHI: The Chief Collector of Customs Appraisement (South), Muhammad Jamil Nasir Khan, announced that the newly implemented Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA) System has drastically cut the Goods Declaration (GD) clearance time to an average of 18 hours from the previous 109 hours. This development marks a significant stride in enhancing the efficiency of customs operations.
According to a statement by Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Collector Khan delivered a presentation on the FCA System during his visit to the Chamber, where he highlighted the system's positive outcomes for importers, such as reduced demurrage charges and costs. The FCA system has notably eliminated the necessity for importers to visit public offices or engage in lengthy litigations. Since its mid-December launch, the system has maintained strong revenue collection, amassing Rs. 86 billion within the first 15 days of its implementation.
The announcement was attended by key figures of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani and other senior members. The Chief Collector indicated that the FCA system's rapid clearance of GDs is expected to encourage other departments to quicken their operations, thereby enhancing Pakistan's economic competitiveness.
Future plans for the system include the establishment of a Centralized Examination Center in Karachi, funded by the World Bank, and the introduction of an incentive-based system for appraisers. The FCA system will also extend its operations to Lahore and Islamabad, integrating with Karachi's functions, which account for 80 percent of the country's imports.
Despite initial challenges, Khan credited the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry's support for the smooth implementation of the FCA system. He highlighted improvements, such as a 31 percent reduction in GDs routed through red and yellow channels and a 75 percent drop in document calling.
The system has consolidated all 80 officials into a single environment for processing GDs in sequence, thus preventing favoritism. This improved clearance process has reduced additional costs for importers while ensuring revenue integrity.
Khan emphasized the substantial benefits already being realized by industrial raw material importers and expressed commitment to further enhancing customs operations to support Pakistan's economic growth.
President Bilwani commended the FCA system for its potential to revolutionize the customs clearance process and urged the Federal Board of Revenue to ensure its seamless operation in the long term. He highlighted the need for similar reforms to expedite consignment clearance and minimize losses.
Bilwani suggested that the faceless clearance system could reduce the need for dry ports across the country, addressing corruption and misdeclaration issues. He also noted the importance of innovations like the FASTER system for achieving a trade surplus and proposed measures to expedite refund payments for exporters.
The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry's endorsement of the FCA system underscores its potential to transform Pakistan's customs operations and contribute to economic growth.