Agility extends PaCCS till March 31

FBR chairman pledges resumption of negotiations for full-scale implementation.

KARACHI:

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Salman Siddique is expected to visit the headquarters of Kuwait-based software developer Agility over the weekend, well-informed sources told The Express Tribune on Thursday.

FBR’s decision to resume dialogue with the firm responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining the Pakistan Automated Container Clearing System (PaCCS) came after Agility announced it would shut down the terminal that facilitated automated clearing of containers from various ports of entry to the country.

According to a representative of Agility, Siddique has assured the software and logistics company that he would visit their headquarters to resume dialogue regarding the full-scale implementation of this software at all clearing terminals of the country. “Given this assurance, we have decided to continue operating the software until the end of March,” said the company representative.

Initially, PaCCS was introduced on a trial basis in 2005 at the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT), but by May 2007, it had also been implemented at the Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) and the Quaid-e-Azam International Container Terminal (QICT). Agility had earlier notified FBR that if negotiations for full-scale implementation of the software and payment of dues to the company were not resumed by February 28, it would shut down the software, thus, disabling the automated clearing system throughout the country.

However, the company representative asserted, “On insistence of more than 30,000 stakeholders, and assurances from the FBR chairman, the company has decided to extend its deadline till March 31”.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2011.