New scanning facilities to help improve cargo clearance

Customs will use newly installed scanning equipment to cut down manual inspection of cargo at Karachi terminals, according to Business Recorder, which reported Chief Collector Customs Appraisement Wajid Ali giving that assurance to the trade community. He made the remarks at an interactive meeting of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Wednesday. The aim is faster clearance and fewer recurring backlogs, which he said depend on closer coordination between Customs, terminal operators and traders.

Wajid Ali said risk-management mechanisms would be tightened to prevent backlogs, particularly at KICT, and that Customs would review its working arrangements with terminal operators and trade bodies. He also said direct dialogue with traders was needed to understand day-to-day problems, and backed clearly defined timelines and measurable benchmarks for Customs processes. Regarding Alternative Dispute Resolution, he said the law governing it had been changed and a wider panel, chaired by a former judge, had been set up.

KCCI President Rehan Hanif said the chamber had no major complaints about Customs operations but urged more Additional Collectors of Customs to ease the workload on officers. Former KCCI President Zubair Motiwala called for automating routine duty calculations to reduce repetitive approvals. Hanif also sought a mechanism to keep examination assignments on schedule when officers are rotated.