MCC GWADAR: FUTURE PREMIER COLLECTORATE OF PAKISTAN
Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Gwadar is poised to become premier Customs Collectorate of Pakistan for the purpose of promoting the economy of Pakistan, facilitating the legitimate trade, a comprehensive digitalization of Customs processes and documentation, stopping the illegal cross border trade, protecting the community and environment, maintaining public health and fulfilling international obligations.
China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is going to be a game changer in Pakistan. Gwadar Port and Economic Zones in Gwadar will take pivotal position in this corridor and Gwadar Port will rise as a state of the art Port of Pakistan in near future. Efforts are underway to link Gwadar port and three land Customs Stations- Panjgur, Mand and BP-250- on the Pak-Iran border to the WeBOC system to facilitate the legitimate trade and reduce the dwell time of goods at the port and the land Customs Stations.
MCC Gwadar is a big Collectorate having jurisdiction that spread over more than 88,000 sq.km area of Pakistan and 640 km of coastline. Most part of the area is barren and industrialization is negligible. This large area situated in the sparsely populated Balochistan province of Pakistan is vulnerable to smuggling of non-duty paid and contraband items from the neighboring countries.
Smuggling and illegitimate trade cannot be stopped by the law enforcement agencies only. Pakistan police smuggling through federal and local agencies including Pakistan Customs, FC, Coast Guard, Police, Levies etc. Smuggling and tax evasion take place when Customs Tariff rates are high, demand of the contraband or restricted items like narcotics, weapons etc is strong, black economy is rampant, job opportunities
are low and documentation and digitalization of the economy is not in place.
Though Government will have to initiate a reforms process in all these areas to encourage legitimate trade and discourage illegitimate cross border trade, most of these evils could be removed by the documentation of the economy through digitalization. This is the reason Pakistan Customs became a pioneer institution in introducing digitalization in its processes in Pakistan. At most of Customs Stations/Ports end to end Customs solutions have been provided to ensure transparency and save time of the business entities. To guard against under-valuation an important step was being taken by connecting online exporting countries to Pakistan Customs. It may enhance revenues of Pakistan Customs significantly.
MCC Gwadar has also chalked out a very effective anti-smuggling strategy to foil smuggling attempts in the area. The jurisdiction of this Collectorate has been divided into four zones- each headed by an Assistant Collector/Deputy Collector. All the law enforcement agencies like FC, Cost Guard, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, Local Police, Levies etc have also been engaged in the anti-smuggling operations. Cooperation of FC has particularly been tremendous in controlling the smuggling of diesel from Iran.
This strategy of the Collectorate is bearing fruits and the anti smuggling operations have resulted in seizure of 1,977,000 liters of High Speed Diesel (HSD). 1388 kgs of hashish (charas), 16158 bottles of liquor and beer and 47 vehicles apart from seizures of miscellaneous items valuing about Rs. 470 million during the period from July 01, 2015 to January 20, 2016 have been seized. Out of this, a large quantity of HSD has been seized from the dumping places at Hub and Uthal. Efficient Customs administration at the land Customs stations and the port have also increased collection of Customs duties by more than 100% during the current financial year in comparison with the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
In future this Collectorate will have its Marine Section equipped with modern patrol and combat boats at Sonmiani, Ormara, Jiwani, Pasni, Pishukan and Gwadar. Feasibility of opening a few more land Customs Stations at Pak-Iran border are also under way to handle increased trade with Iran in the wake of lifting of sanctions from Iran.
Pakistan Customs and MCC Gwadar will continue to striving to contribute to the economic development of Pakistan and maintain a proper balance between control and trade facilitation to ensure transparency and speedy flow of legitimate cargoes at the entry and exit points.
(This article has been written by Saeed Akram, Collector of Customs, MCC Gwadar)