ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Ashfaq, Additional Collector, Model Customs Collectorate Islamabad said that the FBR collected a total revenue of Rs2254.6billion of all taxes during July-February FY2017-18 while Pakistan Customs solely earned Rs1043.18billion during the same duration.
Muhammad Ashfaq narrated many important issues while talking to Customs Today during an exclusive interview.
Telling about the customs workforce in Pakistan, he said that the total sanctioned workforce is 9,430 but the working workforce is estimated 8,220 throughout the country. He informed CT that 7,752 BS-16 and below are working in the whole country whereas 468 officers of BS-17 to BS-22 are discharging their duties in Pakistan Customs.
Talking about the Customs Duty (CD) trends during the past three financial years, he said that, during FY16-17, the MCC Islamabad received Rs497billion under the head of CD while it generated Rs406billion in FY15-16. The MCC earned Rs306billion under the same head during FY14-15.
The Preventive Department of the MCC Islamabad seized smuggling goods worth Rs15652million respectively during FY16-17, contraband items valued at Rs14343million in FY15-16 while it did goods priced at Rs9582million in FY14-15.
Answering to a query regarding the WeBOC, Ashfaq further said that electronic filing created paperless environment to provide the facilitation to the business community during 24 x 7 operations. He added that the WeBOC provided end-to-end integration under the Post-Clearance Audit based Controls. He explained that this system provided a risk management and speedy clearance system for importers as by implementing this system, physical contact between trader and customs gets minimum. He told CT that this system proved an efficient Management Information System regarding the consignments and the consignees.
He said that the WeBOC real-time integrated are traders, customs, customs agents, banks, terminal operated, airlines, shipping lines, bonded carriers and warehouses. The customs’ main functions are revenue mobilization to prevent the national exchequer through under-invoicing and a balance between enforcement and facilitation, he explained.
Replying to another question, he told the correspondent that the main challenges faced by the Customs Department are revenue mobilization, under-invoicing, balance between enforcement and facilitation, smuggling through porous borders, human resource and logistics constraints, security and risk of transit trade as well as vulnerability to corruption.
Telling about the history of MCC Islamabad, he said that the Collectorate of Customs Rawalpindi was established in 1981. Its jurisdiction included districts Attock, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal, Islamabad Capital Territory and northern areas of Gilgit-Baltistan. The Customs Rawalpindi was renamed as Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Islamabad in 2009. In 2013, an independent Model Customs Collectorate of Gilgit-Baltistan was carved out from the MCC Islamabad.
