Single window operation for export rebate urged

The government needs to computerize the mechanism of export rebate/refund through single window operation as difficulties in claiming refunds by exporters have been impacting exports. This was stated by the representatives of the industry during the concluding session of two-day conference on 'National Single Window (NSW)' organized by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and USAID jointly. "Export rebate/refund mechanism should be computerized and NSW should also manage the claims, as claiming the refund is one of the most difficult processes to follow for exporters," they added.
They said sudden changes in customs policies by the government without prior information have also been creating problems for exporters. The companies who had ordered their shipment and those who are in the line to place their orders face difficulties in claiming their goods due to change in policy. Other most common customs-related problems faced by the exporters have been misclassification, higher than anticipated duties and unnecessary hitches on the part of customs office in clearing shipment to the buyer/importer.
A lot of paperwork required for exporting goods also creates difficulties and cost problems. The documents required for imports and exports included bills of lading, invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, copies of letters of credit, and insurance certificates. There are also other documents of trade such as bill of lading, which must be completed. All these paperwork add to the difficulties for those involved in international trading. A small fluctuation in exchange rate can make big difference for exporters as import and export companies need to make and receive constant overseas payments.
The representative of Federation of Chamber of Commerce Industry also noted that suspending operations of the auto clearance system and replacing it with WeBOC by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had also created problems for exporters. He added that WeBOC stands for Web Based One Customs developed by PRAL (Pakistan Revenue Automation Ltd) for FBR and customs, which is slow at the export stage, and takes too much time to upload data.