Karachi: Chief Collector Customs Appraisement Wajid Ali, Wednesday, stated that Customs will utilize newly installed scanning facilities to reduce physical examination of cargo, improve clearance times and prevent recurring backlogs at Karachi’s terminals.
The Chief Collector, while addressing an interactive meeting at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), emphasized that greater coordination between Customs, terminal operators and trade is essential for effective trade facilitation and resolution of day to day issues, said a statement issued here.
President KCCI Rehan Hanif, Senior Vice Presidents Muhammad Raza and Arif Lakhani, former presidents Tariq Yousuf, Shamim Ahmed Firpo, Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh, and KCCI Executive Committee members attended the meeting.
Wajid Ali said that risk-management mechanisms would be strengthened to prevent cargo backlogs, while Customs would examine operational arrangements with terminal operators and the business community to improve cargo movement and clearance. Resolving genuine issues promptly benefited not only individual businesses but also clearance times, revenue collection and overall trade facilitation, he added.
On the Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism, Wajid Ali said the relevant law had been amended and a broader committee, headed by a retired judge and including Customs and business representatives, had been constituted to ensure faster resolution of disputes and reduce litigation.
Former President KCCI Zubair Motiwala, who joined the meeting via Zoom, appreciated the Customs leadership for its responsiveness and emphasized on defined timelines, greater automation and modernization of the duty-calculation process.
Motiwala said automation would reduce processing time, minimize human error and provide businesses with greater predictability. He also appreciated the Green Channel mechanism and called for further strengthening of technology-based facilitation for compliant businesses.
Earlier, President KCCI Rehan Hanif, in his welcome address, called for making the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (ADRC) fully operational, with appropriate representation from Customs and the business community, so that disputes could be resolved through consultation. He also urged that Classification Committee decisions be promptly uploaded online to provide businesses with greater transparency and certainty.
