KARACHI: Arshad Khurshid, the former president of the Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA), who was honored with an appreciation award on Customs Day, has called for urgent and organized action to ensure the effective operation of the newly deployed Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA) module.
Khurshid highlighted that the long-standing demand of the customs agents’ community for uniform assessment and a reduction in the processing time of Goods Declarations had finally been addressed by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). However, the implementation of the FCA module has not met the expectations of the trade community.
Khurshid expressed concern over the haphazard deployment of the FCA, emphasizing the need for a more structured and serious approach to its management. He pointed out that the FCA had been launched at a time when Karachi’s customs stations were already facing congestion due to the uncertain behavior of the Risk Management System (RMS) for the past month. This situation has resulted in delays in customs processing, with the trade community bearing the additional burden of heavy demurrages and container rents.
Furthermore, it has been reported that Goods Declaration files are not being assigned to the assessing officers for up to two days, exacerbating the backlog.
Although Chief Collector Mr. Nasir Jamil is making significant efforts to manage the situation and streamline the FCA, the feedback from the trade community indicates that the backlog will continue to grow unless immediate and consultative measures are taken.
Khurshid also emphasized the need for customs agents to have access to the already available online complaint management system. This would allow real-time and prompt reporting of issues, ensuring that problems are addressed and recorded at higher levels. He urged that extraordinary efforts and serious consultations are required to resolve the issues with the FCA and ensure that it functions efficiently during this critical transition phase. Without immediate action, the trade community risks further delays and financial losses.