Faceless customs assessment cuts clearance time to 18 hours: chief collector

KARACHI: Chief Collector of Customs Appraisement (South) Muhammad Jamil Nasir Khan said that the recently launched faceless customs assessment (FCA) system has significantly improved customs operations, reducing goods declaration (GD) clearance time to an average of 18 hours from the previous 109 hours.

During a visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), Khan highlighted the system’s positive impact on importers, including reduced demurrage charges and costs. He noted that the FCA eliminates the need for importers to visit public offices or engage in lengthy litigations. Since its launch in mid-December, the system has maintained robust revenue collection, with Rs86 billion collected within the first 15 days of implementation.

Khan explained that the FCA system’s rapid clearance of GDs is expected to encourage other departments to expedite their operations, contributing to the overall competitiveness of the economy.

He outlined plans to establish a centralised examination centre in Karachi, equipped with bodycams for examiners to ensure transparency and real-time monitoring. This project, supported by the World Bank, will also include an incentive-based system for appraisers, linking their performance to speed, quality and quantity of GD processing. The system will be expanded by establishing customs assessment units (CAUs) in Lahore and Islamabad, integrated with Karachi’s operations, which currently handles 80 per cent of imports.

Khan acknowledged initial challenges but credited the unwavering support of the KCCI for enabling its smooth implementation. He highlighted a 31 per cent reduction in GDs routed through the red and yellow channels, a significant increase in green channel clearances, and a 75 per cent drop in document calling.

The new system eliminates the group-based assessment structure, consolidating all 80 officials into a single controlled environment where GDs are processed sequentially to prevent favouritism. This improved clearance process reduces additional costs for importers, such as delays and unnecessary payments, while ensuring revenue integrity.

Khan emphasised that the FCA system is already delivering substantial benefits for industrial raw material importers and addressing issues prevalent in commercial and miscellaneous imports. He reaffirmed his commitment to further enhancing customs operations to support Pakistan’s economic growth.

Earlier, President KCCI Muhammad Jawed Bilwani welcomed collector customs, commending the launch of the FCA system. “We believe that the faceless assessment system would also prove favourable for exports as faster clearance of imported raw materials directly contributes to quicker production cycles, ultimately boosting exports,” Bilwani stated.

He urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to ensure the system’s long-term seamless operation, as this system has the potential to expedite container traffic at ports, improving Pakistan’s port operations ranking globally. “We hope similar reforms are introduced to further optimise the clearance process, enabling consignment clearance within hours,” he added.

Underscoring the need for a completely foolproof faceless system, Bilwani suggested that its success diminishes the need for dry ports across the country. Consolidating all imported consignment clearances at the ports through the faceless system would address issues such as corruption and misdeclaration.

While highlighting Pakistan’s recent achievement of a current account surplus, he pointed to the pressing need to address the trade deficit. “Innovations like the FASTER system, faceless customs assessment, and other automation tools are vital for achieving a trade surplus,” he remarked.