KARACHI (July 24 2010): Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has admitted that the Pakistan Automated Customs Clearance System (PaCCS) was rolled out at all three containers terminals without evaluation of its success and shortcomings.
In response to a letter sent by All Pakistan Customs Agents Association (APCAA), the tax collecting authority has said that the PaCCS, which was launched at Karachi International Containers Terminal (KICT) in a pilot mode in March 2005, had been outspread at Pakistan International Containers Terminal (PICT) and Qasim International Containers Terminal (QICT) without its closure and proper assessment of its success and faults.
The FBR further replied that the then management of board had also bypassed the transparent procedure of open bidding to roll out PaCCS at PICT and QICT, causing to raise enormous complaints from both internal and external users of the system.
The revenue body also informed that the replacement of software is a makeshift arrangement, which would be followed by implementation of a suitable automated customs clearance system in a transparent way through open bidding. Pakistan customs is committed to implement best international practices relating to a paperless and automated customs clearance system in line with international obligations, it added. In view of audit findings of PaCCS and feedback received from internal and external stakeholders, the government of Pakistan has decided not to further rollout the automated customs clearance system through agility.
On the other hand, APCAA has claimed that the management of FBR had followed all legal formalities including tenders, bids, proposal draft, etc to launch PaCCS as a pilot project at KICT, which was later expanded to all other containers terminals. The association dispelled the explanation of board related to PaCCS's shutdown, saying that the expansion of PaCCS project to the other containers terminals was proved that the system is a successful project.
Despite having several ambiguities, the PaCCS collects more revenue than the other Collectorates in Karachi. The association further said that the replacement of automated customs clearance system would disturb huge volume of import and export containers, which would lead to provide severe financial shocks to the business fraternity in terms of delays, demurrages, detections, etc. Therefore, the APCAA has strongly appealed to the concerned authorities to take positive measures to restrain the PaCCS falling through their hands.
In response to a letter sent by All Pakistan Customs Agents Association (APCAA), the tax collecting authority has said that the PaCCS, which was launched at Karachi International Containers Terminal (KICT) in a pilot mode in March 2005, had been outspread at Pakistan International Containers Terminal (PICT) and Qasim International Containers Terminal (QICT) without its closure and proper assessment of its success and faults.
The FBR further replied that the then management of board had also bypassed the transparent procedure of open bidding to roll out PaCCS at PICT and QICT, causing to raise enormous complaints from both internal and external users of the system.
The revenue body also informed that the replacement of software is a makeshift arrangement, which would be followed by implementation of a suitable automated customs clearance system in a transparent way through open bidding. Pakistan customs is committed to implement best international practices relating to a paperless and automated customs clearance system in line with international obligations, it added. In view of audit findings of PaCCS and feedback received from internal and external stakeholders, the government of Pakistan has decided not to further rollout the automated customs clearance system through agility.
On the other hand, APCAA has claimed that the management of FBR had followed all legal formalities including tenders, bids, proposal draft, etc to launch PaCCS as a pilot project at KICT, which was later expanded to all other containers terminals. The association dispelled the explanation of board related to PaCCS's shutdown, saying that the expansion of PaCCS project to the other containers terminals was proved that the system is a successful project.
Despite having several ambiguities, the PaCCS collects more revenue than the other Collectorates in Karachi. The association further said that the replacement of automated customs clearance system would disturb huge volume of import and export containers, which would lead to provide severe financial shocks to the business fraternity in terms of delays, demurrages, detections, etc. Therefore, the APCAA has strongly appealed to the concerned authorities to take positive measures to restrain the PaCCS falling through their hands.
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