Anti Covid drive

KARACHI: Customs has agreed to collaborate with country’s top trade body in a joint initiative aimed at minimising human interaction and ensuring social distancing amid COVID-19 pandemic, while it also approved a waiver for the bond surcharge on warehoused goods, a statement said on Monday.

According to the statement issued by Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry's (FPCCI), Syed Tariq Huda, Member-Customs (Operations), FBR not only showed agreement with the chamber’s idea, but also appointed collector customs east Engineer Riaz Memon as focal person for this undertaking.

In order to the save the human lives from coronavirus, contacts with banks, shipping companies, ports and other institutions can be organised online.

All these issues were agreed upon in a meeting between FBR’s Huda and FPCCI’s Khurram Ijaz, Shabbir Mansha Churra, Faisal Mushtaq, and Arshad Khursheed.

Churra, who is chairman FPCCI Standing Committee, gave important suggestions in view of the growing dangers of coronavirus.

“Whether it is the export stage or the import stage, business community are at high risk, so use online technology to minimise human interaction and facilitate online transactions with banks, customs, ports and shipping companies,” Churra said.