Automated customs clearance: FBR urged to purchase system before budget

Ministry plans to present budget on May 28.

KARACHI:

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should purchase Pakistan Automated Customs Computerised System (PaCCS) from Agility, the software maker, before the announcement of federal budget, said PaCCS Users Club President Rizwan Khadim Rathore.

Priorities may differ after the budget so FBR should quote the price to Agility and finalise the deal, he said in a statement on Saturday.

The finance ministry plans to present the federal budget for 2011-12 in parliament on May 28. An FBR spokesperson said earlier this month that FBR was likely to purchase PaCCS. It will be a unique deal as IT companies usually do not sell their software and just issue a licence for their use.

Rathore expressed concern that unnecessary delay in its implementation might create confrontation with Agility. It needs to remember that the company provided the automated system on condition that FBR will pay the price for its purchase.  He hoped that technical experts had evaluated the performance and key indicators to determine the present value of the system.



Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2011.