LAHORE
Model Customs Collectorate (Preventive), Lahore, for the first time in the history of Pakistan Customs, is organising a poster competition for young and old artists.
The main objective of competition is to create awareness among the general public about the role of Customs Department.
According to a press release issued here Friday, it is also meant to encourage the young and budding artists in their artistic pursuits by providing them with a healthy competition. In order to make the competition more attractive and to get good quality of posters, cash prize of Rs 200,000 would be given to the best poster while second prize of Rs 100,000 to the second best poster and third prize is Rs 50,000. Special merit certificates will also be given to selected posters.
The theme of the competition is ‘Role of Customs in Development of Pakistan’. Customs Department plays significant role in trade facilitation, protection of society, effective border management and revenue collection. The posters are expected to delve on one of these broad themes. Customs Department plays a significant role in trade facilitation, protection of society and revenue collection. On more detailed level, Customs Department has a pivotal role in combating smuggling and effective enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights regulations. Similarly ensuring quality and standard of import and export products is yet another important function performed by Customs Department. It is also actively facilitating supply and value chain systems of trade and industry by providing swift and hassle-free clearance of imports and export cargo. In order to further facilitate selected critical industries, Customs Department also allows on-site clearance. It boasts of one of most modern automated Customs clearance systems in the region, which is called Web Based One Customs (WeBOC). This online goods clearance system not only helps facilitate trade but also helps FBR in collection of sizeable revenue in the shape of Customs duties, sales tax, income tax and other import levies. In the last financial year, Customs Department contributed 41 percent of the total revenue collected by FBR, which was in excess of Rs 3,000 billion.
Students of fine arts and artists across the country have been invited to participate in the event. The poster size has been defined and the medium could be manual or digital. It is expected that the artists will highlight the important roles of Customs Department through their canvas. The department will get some of the very high quality posters which will be used by FBR for subsequent tax awareness campaigns.
A high-powered jury, comprising prominent personalities from the field of fine arts in Pakistan, including Saleema Hashmi, Prof MH Jeffery, NCA, and Ms Rahat Naveed, Punjab University, will select the winners who would be awarded prizes on International Customs Day to be observed on January 26, 2017 in Lahore. The activity has been organised in collaboration with National College of Arts.
The Model Customs Collectorate (Preventive), Lahore has extended invitation to all the artists to take part in the event by sending their posters on the theme up to December 31, 2016, to DC Customs Headquarters, MCC Preventive, Custom House, Nabha Road, Lahore. Further details are available on Model Customs Collectorate of Preventive, Lahore’s website: http://customspreventivelahore.gov.pk/
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