Export facilitation scheme on the cards

Business community is playing a key role in promoting trade and economic activities and it is necessary to take all possible steps to address their customs-related problems, said Chief Collector (Customs North) Islamabad Muhammad Imran Khan Mohmand.

Talking to businessmen during his visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Mohmand announced that a better export facilitation scheme would be rolled out soon to facilitate the exporters.

He asked the business community to take advantage of the trade information portal to improve their understanding and knowledge about the import and export matters. “Traders should also take the benefit of WeBOC (Web Based One Customs) system, which helps in getting customs clearance,” he said.

Mohmand sought the cooperation of businessmen in identifying the elements that were misusing the green channel to make the system more effective for the clearance of containers.

He gave assurances that the customs department would try to address the challenges highlighted by the traders. Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari emphasised that the best option for resolving the current economic crisis was to boost exports and foreign currency reserves.

He underlined the need for undertaking short, medium and long-term measures to ramp up exports and asked the customs department to organise seminars in chambers of commerce across the country to educate businesses about ways of improving exports.

The ICCI chief proposed that the topic of exports should be included in the syllabus of schools and colleges to create awareness among students of the importance of exports for the national economy.

He called for increasing the automation of customs operations as it was necessary for facilitating the trade activities.

“HS codes should be revised to ensure accurate assessment of imported goods while customs duties should be rationalised on the imported items used in manufacturing local goods,” Bakhtawari demanded.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2022.

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