ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has seized smuggled goods valued at Rs 106.08 billion during 2023-24 against Rs63.40 billion during the same period last year, reflecting a growth of 67.80 percent.
The FBR’s anti-smuggling data revealed that a comprehensive National Anti-Smuggling Strategy has been developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders to combat the smuggling menace in Pakistan.
This strategy aims for targeted interventions at both strategic and tactical levels by establishing short, medium, and long-term objectives. Adopting a Whole-of-Government approach, the implementation of this strategy is expected to significantly curtail the influx of smuggled goods.
To effectively curb the smuggling of essential commodities, 54 Joint Check Posts (JCPs) and Inter-Provincial Check Posts (IP-JCPs) were established in October 2023. These check posts have significantly bolstered the enforcement campaign against smuggling, with goods worth Rs. 9.3 billion seized from November 2023 to June 2024.
To restrict the reverse flow of Afghan transit goods, items prone to smuggling such as fabric, tires, cosmetics, and home appliances have been prohibited from transit to Afghanistan as per the Ministry of Commerce’s SRO-1397(I)/2023 dated October 3, 2023.
To intercept the movement of smuggled goods on motorways, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the National Highway and Motorway Police (NH&MP) and Pakistan Customs.
To enhance enforcement measures, several Information Technology-based solutions have been implemented, FBR added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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