Chief Collector (Enforcement), FBR
Pakistan Customs as an important and proud member of International Customs fraternity celebrates the International Customs Day on 26th January every year with pomp and ceremony to show allegiance and solidarity with our customs’ brethren across the globe. World Customs Organization (WCO) is an umbrella organization for all the Customs Administrations around the World. Keeping in view the emerging global trends in trade and movement of people and means of transportation across national territories, WCO selects a theme for each year’s International Customs Day. The customs administrations are supposed to demonstrate their commitments and performance with respect to the selected theme through programs and meetings on Customs Day. For this year, WCO has selected an important and a pertinent theme which is swift and smooth movement of cross-border movement of goods, people and means of transport, with the slogan “SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport”.
There is no denying the fact Customs is the primary government department in any country regardless the level of economic and technological development to process, facilitate and regulate the movement of cargo, passengers, and the means of transport. Due to its principal role at the international borders, Customs is entrusted to enforce not only Customs laws but also hosts of other laws and statutes on behalf of other regulatory bodies and agencies. Moreover, due to cross border movement of goods, it is also required to maintain liaison with counterpart customs agencies across the border for communication of information and intelligence in respect of the goods and passengers in transit. It is in this backdrop and the rapid globalization of trade in goods and services where the manufacturing processes are dispersed around the world that swift and smooth movement of goods and people becomes all the more important.
Pakistan being located at strategic location is poised to be become a regional hub of cargo movement. Specially, in the backdrop of CPEC, the cargo and means of transport movement is estimated to increase manifolds. In that scenario the role of Pakistan Customs is bound to be significant to process and facilitate the cargo movement albeit without compromising on government revenue and safety, security and wellbeing of the citizens of Pakistan.
It gives me immense satisfaction to inform that Pakistan Customs is fully geared up to shoulder the additional responsibilities associated with CPEC and other mega projects being unfolded and implemented. Pakistan Customs is endowed with a skilled, motivated and highly qualified manpower ready to take on any challenge. Apart from the quality human resource, we also have a technology driven cargo clearance system which has been indigenously developed and covers the entire scheme of cargo release including import, export, transit and transshipment. Moreover, being the first line of defence against the influx of contrabands, drugs and other hazardous and dangerous goods, Pakistan Customs is also performing an effective enforcement job despite facing resource constraints.
As a member of Customs fraternity, it is indeed a matter of honour to felicitate my fellow customs officers across the globe and the trade community at large a happy International Customs Day. I am confident that customs fraternity shall augment their endevours to implement theme of this year with vigour so as to contribute towards development and prosperity of their respective countries. [the_ad id=”31605″]