QUETTA: The Model Customs Collectorate Quetta has already embarked upon an ambitious roadmap for securing an enabling business environment so that legitimate trade can reap the benefits of trade facilitation. Some stringent measures are also being taken against the violators of the law, whether they are inside or outside the department.
In his message on the Customs International Day, Ashraf Ali, Collector MCC Quetta, said the Pakistan Customs as a member of the Administration of the World Customs Organization (WCO) has always endeavored to adopt international best practices in discharging its duties for facilitating trade and securing the economic frontiers of the country. The International Customs Day is one such reminder of the commitments made by Pakistan to its business community.
He said the theme of this year’s International Customs Day is ‘Secure business environment for economic development’ is not only relevant to the economic milieu of the country in general but also to the prevalent situation in the area assigned to the Model Customs Collectorate Quetta in particular.
Needless to say that vast jurisdiction spread over a vast expanse of the province, including a border area of around 930 km with Afghanistan and 731 km with Iran, makes securing the business environment an uphill task which the collectorate is performing diligently since its inception in 1977.
He said this year’s theme enshrines security of the business environment from various risks which inter alia include infrastructure, system, data, personnel and integrity related security. The Model Customs Collectorate Quetta aims to achieve security of business environment through providing an enabling environment by simplifying trade procedures, tackling integrity related issues and facilitating movement of goods across international borders; providing a safe environment like a secure supplychain, protection of health and safety of people, prevention of terrorist financing and prevention of smuggling of contraband goods; and providing a fair environment which will lead to a sustainable economic growth by eliminating any intellectual property rights violations, improving governance through combating smuggling and removing any innate risks through enhancing capacity of customs personnel.
