ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the faceless customs assessment system, which will be fully operational in Karachi next month, should be expanded and implemented in other cities without delay to ensure that imports across the country could benefit from this system.
The prime minister stated this while chairing a review meeting on the matters related to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
It was attended by Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervez Malik and other senior officials, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The prime minister observed that significant progress had been achieved in digitisation and reforms within the FBR in previous months, adding that for the first time in history, a system with faceless digitisation system had been introduced in the customs process. He directed the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and FBR to work together to further improve the faceless customs assessment system.
Calls for collaboration with private sector to boost investment in housing projects
He desired that the system should be shifted to artificial intelligence by minimising the human intervention.
He ordered the development of a comprehensive strategy for the implementation of the track and trace system in various industrial sectors.
The meeting was briefed on the recent FBR reforms. The faceless customs system at all Karachi port terminals would be made fully operational by the end of February this year, it was told. Besides, efforts are underway to ensure its operation nationwide soon. A central control room is being established to monitor the system, it was informed.
The meeting was apprised that body cameras and tablets would be used to make the inspection recording system more transparent.
Mobile signal jammers and CCTV cameras are also being installed at all terminals to enhance the transparency of the inspection system.
A transparent recruitment process for the new customs system had been initiated while a track and trace system had been implemented in all industrial units of the tobacco, fertilizers, sugar, and cement industries, the meeting was briefed.
The implementation of the track and trace system led to a significant increase in revenue from the tobacco, sugar, cement, and fertiliser industries in the fiscal year 2023-24 compared to the previous corresponding year. The meeting was told that upgrade of the web-based One Customs began and its design was expected to be completed by the end of March.
Low-cost housing schemes
Chairing another meeting, PM Shehbaz ordered the completion of ongoing federal government’s low-cost housing projects expeditiously, besides asking for collaboration with the private sector to boost investment in the housing projects. He also instructed ensuring a third-party validation of the projects.
The Ministry of Housing informed the prime minister about the progress on the ongoing reforms and policy measures in its various departments. It was informed that consultations with all the stakeholders for amendments to the National Housing Policy 2001 had been completed and the process for its final approval would be completed by March.
The meeting was also apprised of the ongoing and future projects under the Pakistan Housing Authority. It was told that work was progressing rapidly on 630 low-cost residential units in Kuchlak, Quetta, and 4,112 units in Islamabad. Work on 5,728 low-cost residential units in Peshawar would begin soon while work on 5,600 residential units in Rawalpindi and Islamabad would kick-start in the near future.
Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2025
