KARACHI: Member Customs Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Tariq Huda, has constituted a committee to investigate flaws in the WeBOC system and DIRBS Module.
Several malfunctions in the WeBOC system and issues in DIRBS system have been identified by Directorate of Reforms and Automation. Therefore, in order to conduct a thorough investigation of the said malfunctions and flaws, a committee is formed.
The committee includes Collector Port Qasim Ashad Jawwad, Director Risk Management Sanaullah Abro and Additional Collector Preventive Quetta Yasir Wahad Kalwar.
An official said there were serious issued in WeBOC system and a thorough and in depth scrutiny/audit of the system is needed. However, it would have been better if an officer of MCC Preventive Karachi was included in the committee.
It may be mentioned here Collector Preventive Saquif Saeed Additional Collectors Preventive Karachi Haroon Malik and Umar Shafique are all high profile officers.
The Committee would determine the reasons for the errors and malfunctions in the WeBOC system; identify any past occurrence of similar incidents; ascertain any human involvement and fix responsibility; and make recommendations regarding mechanism for a third party audit of WeBOC system.
The committee would submit a report by November 09, 2020 in this regard.
Recently, a consignment comprising 18 containers, imported by M/s Magnet of Business International, was being cleared through the green channel without payment of duty and taxes. The serious anomaly in this case is that the GD had a prefix of KRPV i.e. Preventive Collectorate, whereas it was supposed to be filed in the MCC Port Qasim and assessed/cleared therefrom.
The consignment is blocked at gate out stage and the GD was cancelled. However, despite lapse of over 15 days, the importer M/s Magnet of Business International has not filed the GD at MCC Port Qasim, and the consignment of 18 containers has not been examined as yet.
There are serious flaws in the WeBOC system and it seems WeBOC system is not as automated as claimed, because the system is assigning GDs and clearing the same on its own against the pattern.
Sources said WeBOC system was very risky and the system was doing things as if it was being controlled or manipulated.
A Customs agent said he could get his profile included in the green status without the authorities knowing about it. Sometimes the Customs officers cannot even see the GD filed and consignments are cleared and reach its destination.
An official said WeBOC system completely depended on PRAL, and Customs could not supervise the WeBOC system. Directorate of Reforms and Automation could only access the system as much as permitted by PRAL.
Moreover, there is no audit of WeBOC, and the system has not been upgraded since long.