Pakistan Automated Customs Computerised System (PaCCS) was restored after more than 19 hours of shutdown following negotiations between Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Agility Logistics.
However, the suspension of all import and export operations on ports resulted in revenue losses of millions of rupees to the government.
Agility Logistics, the software developer of PaCCS, stopped operating its software on Monday midnight in the wake of a longstanding standoff with FBR over payment of approximately $62 million. As a result, the inward and outward cargo clearance at all three terminals at Karachi Port and Port Qasim came to a standstill.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA) President Mohammad Younus Soomro said that the system was restored on 7:15pm on Tuesday, after more than 19 hours of closure. The KCAA official also said that some 3,500 import containers and 1,500 export containers are cleared every day through PaCCS and almost a daylong suspension on Tuesday caused serious problems for businessmen at port terminals.
“We contacted all relevant government officials from the finance minister to the FBR chairman on the sudden closure of PaCCS which caused huge losses in the form of port demurrages and lost production to the trade and industry,” he said.
“But despite the restoration of the system, the work will start on Wednesday morning owing to the absence of staff,” he added. FBR officials say that the Board has already paid $4 million in service charges to Agility, though the software company has put forward formal demand for outstanding dues of $62 million.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 27th, 2011.
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