KARACHI: Complexities have surfaced in Web-Based One Customs (WeBOC) system of the Customs Department.
Customs agents said the system was still faulty after a passage of more than one year. They said they stand in queues for four to five hours and when their turn comes they are told that goods declaration was not working.
Sources said commercial importers were evading customs duty and taxes worth millions of rupees under the guise of self clearance. They said the Customs Department issues licences for customs clearance. They also said these licences were being issued to only multinational companies. After the WeBOC, ordinary importers are issued “ID password” after getting bribes.
A WeBOC official, seeking anonymity, said the system prior to WeBOC was linked with Bahrain and Kuwait and the department was facing difficulty in paying its bills.
“WeBOC is our own system. There are lots of complexities and we are trying hard to remove them and efforts are being made to make it a success. The former system was more importer and customs agent friendly, but they will soon show their satisfaction in WeBOC. There is no reality in issuing WeBOC password after getting bribes.”
