This year, the World Customs Organization (WCO) dedicating 2019 to the swift and smooth cross-border movements of goods, people and means of transport, with the slogan "SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport" While it is true that Customs helps connect borders, nevertheless, Customs Administrations the world over must perform a delicate balancing act between trade facilitation and the simultaneous implementation of effective and efficient controls and checks on the movement of goods and people.
Since Customs administrations around the world interact with global supply chains, best international practices need to be adopted to ensure the seamless movement of goods across borders. This is enabled primarily through automation - a good example being FBR's WeBOC system of automated cargo clearances. WeBOC places a large amount of useful data at the disposal of the Customs administration, enabling risk management to provide for a more predictable global trade landscape.
On behalf of Karachi Customs Agents Association I would like to assure that this will not be an isolated project and we will play our role by all means being one of the main stake holders and contribute for making the business environment more stable and predictable by streamlining procedures, tackling corruption, enhancing integrity, and facilitating the movement of goods with the help of Pakistan Customs.
In such an environment, the task of customs agents is highly important in helping the government to achieve an appropriate balance between trade facilitation and regulatory control. They provide this service with high professional standards and ethical behavior vis-à-vis their customers and Customs.
The Karachi Customs Agents Association is especially grateful to Pakistan Customs in general and WCO in particular for keeping us on their top agenda of training and learning. I wish to convey my best wishes to the Pakistan Customs on the International Customs Day.