LAHORE: “Trade with India has immense importance for Pakistan as the agricultural produce and raw material imported from New Delhi enables the country to control general level of prices.”
This was stated by MCC Lahore Preventive Collector of Customs Mukarram Jah Ansari while exclusively talking to Customs Today at the Customs House Lahore.
The collectorate collected 42 percent additional in first six months of financial year 2014-15 when compared to the last financial year of 2013-14. The soft spoken, multi-talented and proactive Collector, who is of the view life should be spent with enthusiasm and exuberance, joined Customs service’s 23 years back by qualifying CSS. He belongs to Balochistan and Quetta is his hometown. He served in Balochistan’ initially, then he was transferred to KPK, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore. He qualified CSS following his graduation. He got his two masters degrees in MSC Computer Sciences and MBA during his service from abroad.
He said that trade with India has immense importance for Pakistan as the agricultural produce and raw material imported from there enable the country to control general level of prices. Pakistan imports fruits, vegetables, poultry and industrial raw-material including cotton and plastic dana from India.
“We have no issues in cross border smuggling alongside the Wagha border as our boundary with India is fenced properly. However, a few minor issues are there when narcotics is smuggled by some passengers or trains. Illegal goods are mostly smuggled in the Lahore region from Afghanistan and Iran through Balochistan and KPK,” he informed.
“We have a sufficient infrastructure for the India-Pakistan trade in the restricted trade scenario; however, if the trade volume is increased. “We will fall short of the required capacity. For the purpose we will need to improve the infrastructure to double to accommodate full volume of Pak-India trade,” the collector stated, adding that currently we are working on it and drawing out strategy.
“Following the completion of the plan, we will send it to Islamabad for the approval of required funds. If the plan is approved we will increase its capacity in order to let the increased trade volume take place properly, Ansari shared.
He underscored although there is a very restricted trade activity between India–Pakistan at the Wagha Border, “we have launched international standard of WeBoc system to provide the traders with the most modern facilities and train them. “Wagha Border Land Customs Station is the first one among all the other stations which has WeBoc. Initially 15-20 percent of the cargo is being cleared at the Weboc system the rest is made clear through One Customs,” Ansari held.
“To begin with, we have to undertake changes in the system. Now we are able to file GDs of perishable items as well. WeBoc is a very brilliant system which is operated from Karachi. It is internet dependent system. It never got collapsed. However, it may get disconnected from main server for some time but it never happened to date,” the collector of customs preventive cleared.
In answer to a question on revenue collection, Ansari replied, “We have been able to collect 42 percent additional in first six months of financial year 2014-15 when compared to the last financial year of 2013-14. The growth is mainly associated with our strategy of deploying right man on the right seat. All of them have been briefed and trained on the policy matters and instructed to accommodate importers and exporters.
He added imports have fallen to Rs 90 billion in six months as compared to the last year’s Rs 92 billion. The main reason of increase in our revenue is that we have properly collected all the additional taxes which the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) levied on telecommunication, Soyabeen this financial year.
Sharing next six months planning, Ansari expressed that in the next six months the MCC preventive will gradually increase the rolling-out of the WeBoc system, train the staff at all station including Airport and Wagha, set up information cells for the passengers, importers and exporters who travel through the airport.
“The importers and exporters will be enabled to know what they can import and export, what they cannot import and what they cannot export. We can facilitate masses by informing them timely. Proper information through these information cells will not let them commit mistakes, avoiding any inconvenience for them,” he explained, adding that in this connection the collectorate intends to introduce a novel system to inform the citizens of Pakistan who are sent private parcels from abroad.
“Earlier, the owners of the couriers were served intemperate notice about the arrival of goods. Now from the February this year, people will be informed about the arrival of their goods through a very polite letter ‘Information about Arrival of Goods’. An information cell will also be set up and brochures containing relevant information will also be available for the passenger for their guidance at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Ansari finished.
