Member (Customs Policy), Federal Board of Revenue
With cross-border investment flows and international trade increasingly driving the global marketplace, the accompanying risks of enhanced flow of illicit goods and people across borders have multiplied. This has rendered traditional border management techniques by Customs Administrations redundant since the focus is now on effective trade facilitation through non-intrusive enforcement strategies that do not hinder cross-border traffic of legitimate goods and people across borders.
This year’s International Customs Day acknowledges the importance of swift and smooth cross-border movement of goods, people and means of transport for international trade and economic development. Pakistan Customs too recognizes the essential role that security of the business environment can play in economic prosperity and is aware that an important tool to achieve this is through SMART borders.
The border is no longer an exclusive government domain involving regulatory operations and functions. Free trade has resulted in huge increases in border activity, thereby repositioning the border as an important link in the integrated business activities for both the manufacturing and distribution of goods. The dependence of business on seamless, smoothly functioning, and timely border processes is fundamental to business competitiveness and economic prosperity on both sides of the border.
The successful launch of the indigenously developed WeBOC (Web Based One Customs) software for automated clearance of cargo brings Pakistan Customs a step closer to an automated environmentbased on information exchange, risk management and intelligent data analysis, resulting thereby in targeted enforcement. Furthermore, our recent ongoing efforts to install the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) in collaboration with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and to integrate the WCO Data Model into WeBOC are in line with our commitment to develop SMART borders.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank a host of International Development Partners including the World Bank, World Customs Organization, Asian Development Bank, USAID, JICA, UNODC, DFID, IFC, etc. Without their technical and material support, it would not have been possible for Pakistan Customs to move ahead in its efforts to realize its vision for safer, more standardized and cost-effective borders that maintain security without hampering the flow of goods and people across borders.
In the end, I congratulate all officers of Pakistan Customs on this special day with the hope that we continue our endeavors for enabling safer borders through employing risk-based decisions, increased partnering across borders and consolidating government functions at the border through implementation of the National Single Window. [the_ad id=”31605″]