KARACHI: Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Preventive is facing acute shortage of field staff and needs urgent recruitment of additional work force to enhance performance.
Additional Collector Headquarters (HQs) Shafqat Ali Khan Niazi said this while talking to Customs Today at his office in Customs House.
The Additional Collector (HQs) said that the authorities have written letters to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) regarding the shortage of staff in MCC Preventive.
Replying to a query, said that the Pakistan Customs is also facing scarcity of boats, launches, patrolling ships and other latest equipment, adding that the authorities concerned have also written to FBR about this issue.
Shafqat Ali Khan Niazi further revealed that the supervisory section of MCC Preventive is not strong enough, as it has only 12 officials to oversee the entire operation in the sea.
Talking about the Central Control Room (CCR), Niazi said that it was working round-the-clock and the Customs as well as tracking company officials are checking every movement of the containers throughout the day. “As many as 14,787 containers have reached their destinations since May 2013”, he said.
The Additional Collector (HQs) said that the Mobile Enforcement Units (MEUs) are working actively with the coordination of the Customs department and responding quickly in case of any complaint.
Niazi maintained that Pakistan Customs wants to enhance the transit trade routes and FBR in this regard is considering to introduce more companies in the tracking system so that the tracking of the containers on the transit trade routes could be enhanced further and more facilities provided to the importers.
“Pakistan Customs is planning to develop more transit trade routes from Karachi to Balochistan,” the Additional Collector (HQs) added.
Commenting on the tracking system, Shafqat Ali Khan Niazi said that the said system is working well and will improve day by day. To a query, Additional Collector Headquarters said that the Customs authorities have received appreciation letters from the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) and other trade bodies in connection with the tracking service provided to them.
