Ahmad Nabi
LANDI KOTAL: Export and import clearing process is smoothly functional for the last one week, as the Web Based One Customs (WeBOC) system has been implementing full-fledged at Customs clearing center, Torkham, custom official said.
As per details of the Torkham custom office, in one week from 12 March to 19 March,2018 when WeBOC was introduced, a total of 513 Goods Declarations(GDs) had been filed in export and 1373 vehicles were cleared similarly in import 132 GDs had been submitted and commodities loaded 635 trucks had been cleared. Counting benefits of WeBOC Deputy Director Customs house Torkham, Athar Naveed said that it was transparent, audit trail, quick and efficient system.
“After filing GD, computerize process starts and in within one hour the clearing procedure completes and permit is granted to export the merchandise commodities across the border”, he remarked.
On a query, he said that some of clearing agents were unfamiliar with the system but with the passage of time, they would be accustomed to it and the Customs department was striving hard to facility the clearing agents’ community and they would discourage all those activities that would suffer interests of clearing agents. He maintained that training sessions had been arranged to impart knowledge to the agents regarding WeBOC in addition that five each computers systems had been reserved for the agents to file their GDs in export and import.
Ex-President of Torkham clearing agents association, Abdullah said that last year when it WeBOC was introduced in import, they affected more but then it became a routine business for them however he complained lack of computer system and Customs staff for export clearing process. In manual system he added the loaded vehicles were cleared very soon but in new system it took hours to be cleared.
A local exporter, Muhammad Jaber Khan while expressing his views on the new goods clearing system said that it was a fair and on line system and one could clear his export goods from everywhere in Pakistan but unluckily he added it would leave hundreds of agents jobless as under the system a single person could do work of ten persons with one computer.
When President Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce Zahidullah Shinwari was contacted for his expert opinion he said that WeBOC had been implemented throughout the country and keeping in view the modern era, it was need of time but he added that the Customs officials introduced it at Torkham border without developing infra-structure for it. “If the department provided proper training to both officials and the agents’ community, improved internet facility and met all requirements, needed to run the WeBOC system it would be welcomed”, he argued.
Shinwari maintained that in short run, the clearing process was slow therefore it would affect the trading activities but in long run, export and import would be enhance of the speedy procedure of the new system. It is to be mentioning here that WeBOC is a one-window and an interactive system that works in a completely paperless manner.
One can enter into the portal of WeBOC by clicking its link and carry out all his activities related to Customs from anywhere in Pakistan. All one requires is a User ID, a computer and an Internet connection. The business community can avail the services of WeBOC 24 hours a day and seven days a week and the Customs department is replacing it with old manual system in wide and length of the country.
