ISLAMABAD: Tahira Sarwat Habib, Customs Chief Collector North Region, has contributed a lot to bring about customs administrative and automation reforms. The North Region earned surplus revenue of Rs1268.74million of all duties and taxes during first July to 25th of October Financial Year 2017-18 against the assigned revenue target for the first four months of current Financial Year 2017-18. Moreover, the North Region surpassed the allocated proportional target (1st July to 25 October) FY17-18 under all the heads with Rs1905.26million.
According to details given by Chief Collector North Sarwat Tahira Habib while talking to Customs Today during an exclusive interview.
She added that the North Region showed satisfactory performance during said period. She said the North received Rs12183.06million under all the heads during said period while it was earmarked proportional target of Rs10277.80million whereas it was assigned Rs10914.32million of revenue target under all the heads during the first four months from July to October FY17-18.
The North Region posted 18.54% increase against the allocated revenue target while it showed 23.01% growth of collection against the same period of corresponding Financial Year 2016-17. The North generated Rs9904.19million under all the heads during the 1st July to 25th of October FY16-17.
She asked all the Collectorates of the North Region, which comprises Islamabad, Peshawar, Sialkot and Gilgit-Baltistan, to nominate focal-persons so as to coordinate amongst all said collectorates to cope with the trafficking of smuggling. She told CT that she also asked above named collectorates to seed up their efforts for exceeding the earmarked revenue target for the next quarter (October to December) Fy17-18.
Regarding her academic and professional qualifications, the chief collector informed Customs Today that she got masters in Public Policy in 1993 from University of Southampton UK. She did her masters in Journalism in 1983 from University of Punjab Lahore. She explained that she got trained from Brussels in 2013 on Key Speaker at the World Customs Organization Women in Leadership Workshop, NWSC at National Defence University Islamabad 2012-13, WCO Container Control Programme at Brussels 2011, International Visitors Programme from Board Enforcement Programme USA 2011, Executive Leadership Development Programme from CAREC Institute Singapore 2011, Financial Analysis for Non-Financial Executives from University of California, Berkley USA 2009, IPR Enforcement and Global International Intellectual Property Rights Academy USA 2009. She also got various trainings from Beijing, Jordan, Sri Lanka and Tokyo.
The Chief Collector North further told CT that she has a vast experience like she served as Executive Operation and Management in the area of Administration, Enforcement and Compliance at National Customs, Excise and Sales Tax FBR, Formation of Strategic Tax Management and Compliance with Implementation. She also got exposure in donor agencies’ liaison departments of DFID, USAID, JICA and UNODC.
Answering a query regarding her career ladder, Sarwat Tahira said she served as Director General IPR FBR, Director Intelligence and Investigation, Chief Management (Customs), Chief International Customs and Tariff, Collector of Customs, Additional Director I&I FBR, Additional Director Training and Secretary Customs (Sales Tax and Fixed Taxes).
