APCAA in its proposals, sent to the minister ports and shipping and chief collector, customs (enforcement) stated that they were playing proactive role to facilitate trade for a secure business environment and economic development in Pakistan.
It said that APCAA after three years of research identified several issues, creating impediments in the smooth process of cargo clearance.
The proposals forwarded to the ministry of ports and shipping and customs department for procedural reforms to ensure hassle-free cargo clearance are as follow:
A mechanism should be developed for collecting importers details before shipment and issuance of bill of lading at port of shipment to share the same with terminal operators and customs authorities through manifests or otherwise.
The arrival intimation of consignments should be communicated to the trade 72 hours before berthing of vessel by shipping agents and terminal operators.
The demurrage date should be fixed after 24 hours from the berthing date of vessel and extend free period for port demurrage from 5 days to 10 days.
The shipping agents should provide 12 hours x 6 DAYS (9:30am to 9:30pm) services for issuance of delivery orders and container gate passes in all cases submitted on or before 4:00pm.
The delivery orders and container gate passes should be issued online through internal arrangements within shipping agents and terminals and eliminate container deposit system and third party involvement (non registered service providers/contractors) and issuance container gate passes against insurance covering all risks instead of heavy deposit amounts.
The shipping lines should complete the refund process within 3 days from the date of return of empty containers and no security deposit may be en-cashed or deposited in the accounts of shipping agents.
The issuance of delivery orders and delivery of goods for self clearance goods declarations to customs agents or any third party should be eliminated. All shipping agents, terminals, freight forwarders may also issue its tariff in details with complete head of accounts and also display the same on its website or they should also issue receipts of payment in detail with complete head of charges.
All payments should be received against pay orders or any other online banking instruments instead of cash.
Container detention charges should be waived for the delay period in grounding and arrangements of goods by terminals. The rules for shipments from port of shipment of dangerous goods should be evolved. The scanning and weighment information of shipments should be maintained before loading of containers on vessel.
Complete survey reports including photo and video record of examining containers should be compiled before delivering of shipment to the trader from terminals. In case of any breakage or any unsound condition of container, terminal operators must inform trader or his agent and also intimate preventive collectorate through email or otherwise.
The skilled labours, required machinery, instruments for repacking of examined goods, small weighing scales etc. should be arranged.
The allocation of specified area for storage and examination of normal and dangerous cargos with proper light arrangement should be assured along with sufficient space for disposing of goods.
The off-dock terminals should also be established near rail network for transit and trans-shipment containerised cargo.
The installation of advanced scanners should be done in coordination with customs authorities for speedy clearance of goods and for elimination of malpractices and mis-declarations.
The shipping lines should accept delay and detention certificates issued by customs and any other government agency and they also introduce special tariff of demurrage and container rent for long-stayed containers where traders, agreed to pay government revenue, remain unable to clear the same due to heavy port charges and container rent.