KARACHI: Held annually on 26th January to highlight the contributions of customs administrations across the globe, the International Customs Day (2024) was also celebrated in a ceremony held at the Old Custom House building in Karachi.
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs graced the occasion as the Chief Guest which was also attended by diplomats, civil servants, senior officers of the military and civil armed forces, business professionals and media representatives.
The ceremony commenced with Guard of Honor presented to the Chief Guest by a well dressed contingent of Preventive officers and sepoys of the Collectorate.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Shamsad Akhtar called upon all stakeholders to work together for securing the international trade supply chain. She expressed optimism that the Federal Board of Revenue will collect revenue of more than 9.4 Trillion Rupees during the current Financial Year. She said that reform process based on consultation has also been initiated in FBR. She highlighted the importance of Customs in cross-border trade. She also emphasized the importance of the Single Window activity in Customs operations.
Earlier, the Member Customs Operations, Dr. Fareed Iqbal Qureshi reiterated the need for new initiatives to keep abreast of the evolving role of Pakistan Customs for safeguarding the economic frontiers and ensuring all possible facilitation for legitimate trade.
In his welcome note, Collector of Customs Enforcement Karachi highlighted the need for inter-agency cooperation to tackle impediments being faced by Customs on the Appraisement as well as Enforcement side.
The Finance Minister also distributed certificates of merit issued by the World Customs Organization (WCO) for officers rendering exceptional services in discharge of their duties. In line with the theme this year, Pakistan Customs also recognized other entities and law enforcement agencies for their cooperation in achieving its goals.
Like every year, the World Customs Organization also dedicated this year for a special cause. The year 2024 was dedicated to the theme of “Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose” by the Organization which aptly captures the need for cooperation with other entities for effective service delivery by Customs.
