KARACHI: Khurram Ijaz, Chairman of the FPCCI Advisory Council on Customs and former Vice President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), has called for an Independent Performance Evaluation of the Group-less Assessment Model introduced with the implementation of Faceless Customs Assessment.
According to Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Ijaz emphasized that the proposal is not a critique of the Faceless Assessment reform, which aims to improve transparency and uniformity in customs assessments. However, he highlighted that the removal of sector-specialized assessment groups represents a significant structural change, necessitating a thorough evaluation.
Ijaz pointed out that while Pakistan has moved to a group-less model, other countries have adopted different approaches. He cited examples of India, which established National Assessment Centers and Faceless Assessment Groups post-Faceless Assessment, and countries like the United States, European Union, Canada, Australia, and Singapore, which maintain sector-specific expertise for complex assessments.
He mentioned the World Customs Organization's emphasis on professional competence and technical specialization in areas such as tariff classification and risk management. With the increasing technological complexity in international trade, sectors like machinery and electronics require specialized assessment expertise.
Ijaz proposed enlisting an internationally recognized institution, such as the World Bank or Asian Development Bank, to benchmark Pakistan's model against global standards. He stressed that the evaluation should assess the system's impact on customs assessment times, trade facilitation, consistency, and revenue protection.
He noted that World Bank trade facilitation frameworks now focus on operational indicators, underscoring the need to evaluate whether reforms are yielding measurable improvements. Ijaz concluded that if the evaluation shows positive results, the model should be bolstered, but if improvements are identified, a hybrid approach combining transparency with sector specialization should be considered.
"Major customs reforms should be evaluated on the basis of evidence, measurable performance, and international benchmarking. The ultimate objective is not merely organizational change, but faster cargo clearance, better trade facilitation, improved technical accuracy, and stronger revenue protection for Pakistan."