Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA) has requested Pakistan Customs to verify Pak-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) through Electronic Data Exchange (EDE) instead of manual. This was disclosed in a circular issued on the other day saying that KCAA held a meeting Chief Collector Appraisement South and requested to verify Pak-China FTA through EDE instead of manual calling of documents from the traders / customs agents. The KCAA during meeting said in such cases where FTA was available electronically, online verification must be considered through EDE.

The KCAA said presently IGM deblocking of such GDs, which were filed after 15 days by the traders/customs agents electronically were required to approach concerned DC/AC for deblocking of IGM that caused excessive workload for customs officials and also increasing dwell of clearance.

Therefore, KCAA proposed that auto deblocking of IGM in order to reduce dwell time should be incorporated in the system under sub-section (1) of section 79 read with Clause 47(a) of Section 156 of Customs Act, 1969.

Furthermore, it said the consignments were presently being held by the terminal operators manually under section 82 of the Customs Act, 1969 and requested the chief collector to issue instructions to the terminal operators to discontinue the said practice where the goods declaration was out of charge from the customs department under section 83 of Customs Act, 1969.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019