KARACHI: Chief Collector Appraisement South Nasir Jameel has recently posted 51 new BS-16 officers in the Central Examination Unit (CEU). Yet, there are only 11 officers who have expertise in goods’ appraisal, whereas the remaining number comprises preventive officers and intelligence officers. This has sparked controversy regarding the appointments and whether or not such changes will enhance operations in the CEU.
Issues of structural reforms at Pakistan Customs
A Pakistan Customs insider has expressed alarm at the current reforms. They feel the reforms are destabilizing the organization. The Member Customs Operations and other top jobs, for instance, are now largely ceremonial and toothless. More critically, lower-ranking officers are being assigned to top jobs, which is creating confusion and undermining the chain of command.
Faceless Customs assessment faces challenges
The Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA) system, which was brought in to streamline operations, has been targeted as well. A post of Collector HQ was initially ordered by an SRO, but the post lay vacant for five months, and Nasir Jameel continued to exercise unbridled power. With the post now filled, doubts regarding the efficacy of the FCA still linger.
A report by Ashad Jawad has pronounced the FCA system as a failure, reporting delays in clearances, decreased revenue, and inefficiencies in the system. With this, a Post-Clearance Audit (PCA) team, headed by Director Sheeraz Ahmed and other top officers, has started probing the FCA system.
Audit team battles time constraints
The PCA team has a Herculean task ahead of them. Over 200,000 Goods Declarations (GDs) have to be examined, and already a few irregularities have been detected. The team is already stressed with the sheer size of the audit and limited staff available to do it, and how they can meet the deadline.
Unfair reward system sparks discontent
One of the top issues among appraising officers is the reward system. Several officers believe that rewards are allocated on a biased basis, depending on personal likes rather than performance or revenue recovery. The system grades officers into A, B, C, and D categories, but changes recently introduced have resulted in officers from lower ranks being promoted, while officers in higher ranks have been removed. This has created frustration and charges of favoritism.
Experts propose that an open award system, where rewards are tied to actual revenue collection, may increase morale and cut down on corruption. They propose awarding a fixed percentage of the revenue collected as rewards to deserving officers.
PCA officers, who play a critical role in collecting government revenue, do not receive formal incentives, which poses questions regarding the department’s devotion to operational effectiveness.
Conclusion: Calls for reform
While the interest in Pakistan Customs is increasing, stakeholders are calling on the government to implement changes that will make the assessment fair, award rewards equally, and provide a strong foundation for long-term efficiency of the department. By adopting these reforms, it will be possible to restore the integrity and credibility of the system so that Pakistan Customs can perform better in the future.
