KARACHI: Arshad Khurshid, former president of the Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA), has praised the outstanding efforts of Chief Collector (A) South, Mr. Jamil Nasir, along with his team of collectors from the Appraisement South division, as well as the Directorate General (DG) and Director of the Risk Management System (RMS), in addressing the challenges that emerged following the deployment of the Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA) system.
Khurshid previously emphasized that the long-standing demands of the customs agents’ community—such as the need for uniform assessment practices and a reduction in the processing time for Goods Declarations—had been successfully met by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). He commended the implementation of the FCA module, which ensures equal treatment for all traders by strictly adhering to the FIFO (First In, First Out) mechanism.
He particularly praised the efforts of Mr. Jamil Nasir and his team in reducing the backlog, including measures such as increasing the number of appraising officers and continuously monitoring the newly deployed system. Furthermore, Khurshid lauded the Director of RMS for reconfiguring the risk parameters based on merit. He expressed hope that with continued efficiency and spirit, the system would not require any further queue breaks.
However, Khurshid pointed out that while delays at the appraising officers’ level have been mitigated, backlogs are still occurring at the quality assurance’s level, which needs to be addressed. He acknowledged that while there were initial delays, the current state of affairs holds great promise for the future, and legitimate trade is expected to benefit from faster clearance processes without hindrances.
In addition, Khurshid advised the introduction of an online complaint management system to address day-to-day issues promptly and ensure that concerns are recorded and escalated at higher levels for quicker resolution.