FBR integrates blockchain trade verification

Dawn reported that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has connected customs administration to ValidAP, a blockchain-based cross-validation platform. The platform was developed and is hosted by Hong Kong Customs, and the link has been put into operation through Pakistan Single Window (PSW). It follows a memorandum of understanding between Pakistan Customs and the Customs and Excise Department of Hong Kong, signed on May 18.

According to an official announcement, ValidAP gives participating customs and regulatory bodies a safe way to confirm that electronic trade documents issued through PSW are genuine and unaltered. Those documents include Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) certificates and export permits, and the checks run without sharing the underlying papers or their data. The platform relies on cryptographic hash-based verification, which flags any change made to a registered document.

The integration is expected to reduce dependence on paper-based and manual checks, speed up validation of trade documents and support quicker consignment clearance. The announcement added that the move should shorten clearance and cargo dwell times at no extra cost to traders.