Islamabad 6 August: The Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA) system, launched to eliminate human discretion in import clearances, has come under scrutiny after an audit revealed that it cleared restricted and banned goods worth over Rs10.538 billion, in violation of the Import Policy Order.
According to the Directorate General of Post Clearance Audit (PCA), the review covered the period from December 16, 2024, to March 15, 2025, and examined thousands of Goods Declarations (GDs) processed under the FCA system. The audit identified 1,006 GDs where restricted items were cleared without proper authorization or compliance, raising concerns over the system’s reliability and oversight.
In addition to policy violations, the PCA audit uncovered Rs5.007 billion in duty and tax evasion across 1,524 GDs. Furthermore, the failure to initiate contravention proceedings in these cases led to an additional loss of Rs2.433 billion in potential penalties and fines. The total financial impact of these irregularities was estimated at Rs7.44 billion.
The FCA system was designed to streamline import processing and curb corruption by removing human involvement in customs assessments. However, the audit findings suggest that critical checks and validations were bypassed, allowing prohibited goods to enter the country under false or misclassified declarations.
Customs authorities are now under pressure to revise the automated clearance system and introduce stronger validation controls, especially for sensitive or restricted imports. Officials have indicated that internal reviews are underway, and disciplinary action may follow based on the audit findings.
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The PCA has recommended that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) enhance real-time risk profiling and flagging protocols in the FCA system to prevent recurrence. Trade experts also warn that repeated failures in customs enforcement could undermine confidence in Pakistan’s border control mechanisms and trade governance.
The FBR has yet to issue an official response to the audit.
