KARACHI: A high-level government committee has successfully addressed significant discrepancies in Pakistan’s import value data, uncovering gaps as large as 32% in trade figures reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and the Directorate General of Customs. The inconsistencies were primarily due to the exclusion of certain Goods Declaration (GD) types and Afghan Transit Trade values in official records. Following an extensive reconciliation process, the gap was drastically reduced to just 0.54% for the year 2023, marking a major step toward accurate trade reporting.
The issue first came to light during a meeting on May 20, 2025, when Customs’ Director of Digitalization presented findings highlighting inconsistencies in import data. It was discovered that PBS figures were incomplete because they omitted specific GD types. To resolve this, a dedicated Working Group was formed, bringing together representatives from Customs, PBS, the Directorate of Research & Statistics (DR&S), the Pakistan Single Window (PSW), and the Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL). The committee, led by Additional Director Ghulam Nabi Kamboh, was tasked with reconciling trade data from 2020 to 2024 to ensure uniformity across all reporting agencies.
One of the most striking findings was the discrepancy in trade figures with China. In 2023, the International Trade Centre (ITC) reported $17.33 billion in Chinese exports to Pakistan, while PBS recorded only $11.76 billion—a difference of 32%. Further investigation revealed that this gap was largely due to missing GD types and the exclusion of Afghan Transit Trade values. Once these were incorporated into the calculations, the gap between Customs and PBS data narrowed to just 0.54% for 2023. Similar discrepancies were found in previous years, reinforcing the need for a standardized reporting system.
The committee also conducted a mirror analysis of Pakistan-China trade, which confirmed the necessity of synchronized reporting standards. By including previously omitted data, the figures reported by both countries were brought into near alignment, validating the reconciliation efforts.
To prevent future discrepancies, the committee recommended several measures. These include improving system integration between Customs, DR&S, PBS, and PSW to ensure seamless data sharing, adopting uniform reporting standards and methodologies across all agencies, and ensuring timely communication whenever new GD types are introduced. These steps are expected to enhance transparency and reliability in Pakistan’s trade data.
The Working Group comprised key officials, including Ghulam Nabi Kamboh, Additional Director of Customs, as Chair, along with Shazia Begum from PBS, Waqas Ashraf from DR&S, Abeer Javaid from R&A, Arshad Hussain from PSW, and Farhatullah from PRAL. Their collaborative efforts have laid the groundwork for more accurate and consistent trade reporting in the future.
The successful reconciliation marks a significant achievement in improving the credibility of Pakistan’s trade statistics. By addressing systemic gaps and implementing the committee’s recommendations, Pakistan can ensure more reliable data for policy-making and international trade relations. The findings will be shared with relevant ministries and international partners to reinforce confidence in the country’s trade reporting. Additionally, the committee has called for periodic reviews to maintain data integrity moving forward.
This exercise underscores the importance of coordination among government agencies in maintaining accurate economic records, ultimately supporting better decision-making and fostering trust in Pakistan’s trade data on the global stage.