Customs recommends border management force

KARACHI: Customs authorities have called for an immediate appointment of officials in different cadres and formation of a customs border management force to curb smuggling.

Customs officials told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance that there had been no appointments in customs for around 20 years due to which the formations were understaffed.

Chief Collector South Abdul Rasheed Shaikh told the the NA committee that IT professionals were urgently needed to improve and bring advancement.

Chief Collector Enforcement Zahid Khokhar said the anti-smuggling campaign is in advance stage and customs being understaffed has the assistance of paramilitary forces. 

Khokhar said a customs border management force should be formed with new appointments to restrict illicit trade on sustainable basis.

The meeting was informed that despite sharp decline in the international commodity prices, the quantum of legal imports had surged significantly owing to the rigorous anti-smuggling campaign being pursued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). This was evident from more than 22 percent surge in the value of dutiable imports in the fiscal year so far.

Though there are no actual figures, but it is safe to say that smuggling has been inflicting a loss of hundreds of billions on the economy every year.

The committee advised the officers to formally furnish the recommendations and assured the recommendations would be taken up at the appropriate forum.