KARACHI: The implementation of I-Form has been delayed because the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has not issued the circular required to effect the I-Form module.
The module was planned to be rolled out on April 18, 2016, which has been delayed as the formalities on part of central bank have not been completed. No new launch date has been announced so far.
Customs has already initiated training sessions for Customs officers and officials to educate them about the I-Form mechanism.
Meanwhile, the Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA) to delay the launch of I-Form module in the web based customs clearance system (WeBOC) until after June 30, 2016 as the system had not the capacity.
General Secretary KCAA Nadeem Kamil in a letter to Directorate of Reforms & Automation-Customs appreciated the introduction of I-Form module to log the import trade business towards a documented procedure of foreign exchange remittance. “We have some observations, which can create a panic like situation, if preparation before implementation are not made,” Kamil however said and suggested to delay the launch if I-Form mode until the next fiscal year.
Customs has prepared a module in the WeBOC system to enable mandatory uploading of import-form i.e. I-Form for recording of the transaction between the importer and exporter and track outward remittances. In this regard a demonstration session was held for customs clearing agents and traders.
Kamil said that some importers did business only under one custom i.e. the manual clearing system and were not yet registered with Weboc while traders already registered with Weboc and filing their Goods Declaration through their clearing agents had their user Id and password.
In this regard, KCAA requested the department to issuance of new user ID and refresh earlier issued user IDs of those traders, who forgot their passwords.
KCAA noted that WeBOC shutdown very frequently in the month of March and April 2016, “it might be due to over occupancy of work load and insufficient capacity. It is suggested to enhance the capacity of hardware & software before implementation of I-Form”.