Islamabad, Feb 26: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced a Centralized Customs Examination system to curb corruption and improve transparency in the inspection of imported consignments. As part of this initiative, a Centralized Examination Unit (CEU) has been set up in Karachi, which will randomly assign shipments for examination, ensuring a fair and efficient customs clearance process.
This new system aims to enhance the quality of customs examinations, expedite goods clearance, and facilitate trade operations. The CEU is strategically located in Karachi, as designated by the Chief Collector of Customs Appraisement (South). It will be managed by Deputy and Assistant Collectors appointed by the Chief Collector, who will oversee system-related and logistical operations to ensure smooth implementation.
Under this framework, the Chief Collector will also assign Appraisers (Examination) to the CEU based on operational needs. All consignments arriving at Karachi Port terminals will be examined through the CEU. Goods declarations (GDs) filed at the Collectorates of Customs Appraisement—East, West, and SAPT—will be processed through the Customs Computerized System (CCS), which will allocate examinations to the CEU. Moving forward, this system will be gradually expanded to other customs stations, including Port Qasim and additional locations nationwide.
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To maintain efficiency, Appraisers assigned to the CEU will be rotated among different port terminals and off-dock terminals (ODTs) every three days, with the possibility of extending their assignments to a week if required. The CCS will randomly allocate containers and Less than Container Load (LCL) consignments to Appraisers for examination based on their assigned terminals.
The goal is to complete all inspections on the same day, and any pending examinations must be finalized by the same Appraiser on the following day. In cases where required documents are not uploaded on the same day, the CCS will reassign the examination to another available Appraiser at the same terminal.
To enhance monitoring and transparency, Appraisers will be equipped with tablets and body cameras integrated with the CCS. This system will allow real-time uploading of images and examination reports. A Central Control Room will oversee live body cam footage under the supervision of the Assistant/Deputy Collector (CEU), with recordings stored for at least three months for future reference.
For certain categories of goods requiring higher-level approvals, the GDs will be forwarded to the Assistant/Deputy Collector for further processing, ensuring thorough and accountable examination procedures.
