International Customs Day 2022 Messages from Saif Ullah Khan (President 2021-2022) Karachi Customs Agents Association

TEXT: The world customs community is celebrating International Customs Day on 26th January 2022 across the globe. Pakistan Customs play a pivotal role in economic development through effective targeted controls and the facilitation of legitimate trade. Pakistan Customs is keen on sharing knowledge and adopting best practices within the customs community and this year’s theme of “Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem” creates new responsibilities which cannot be addressed without the necessary skills, knowledge and connectivity.

Global trade requires international cooperation and coordination among governments and trade bodies. Pakistan Customs being an active member of the International Customs family interact with customs organizations of the other countries under the auspices of the World Customs Organization. This interaction helps support the smooth and lawful flow of goods, services, people, technologies, capital, culture and ideas. This connectivity with the international organizations paves way for modernization and economic development of the country.

During this Covid-19 pandemic, Customs demonstrated the relevance of the critical role that it can play in facilitating trade and travel, simplifying, standardizing and harmonizing border procedures, while securing them simultaneously. I can proudly say that Pakistan Customs in this time of need ensured continuous operation of the trade supply chain guaranteeing that all goods including but not limited to food items, medicines, etc. are processed from borders without any delay. At a time when all departments of the country were not fully operational and the country was fighting its battle with the pandemic, Pakistan Customs fulfilled its role well by ensuring smooth delivery of goods with continuous trade facilitation and strengthening of global supply chain.

Pakistan Customs has always remained in the forefront of liberalization through rationalization of the trade regime and procedures by supporting government’s initiatives to facilitate and enhance trade with international partners. The ongoing restructuring of tax initiatives and automation of Customs procedures, in line with international best practices, will go a long way in integrating Pakistan’s economy with the global commerce and harnessing fruits of globalization.

In such an environment, the role of custom agents is highly important in helping the government to achieve an appropriate balance between trade facilitation and regulatory control. We as custom agents are providing service with high professional standards and ethical behavior and we are ready to stand side by side with Pakistan Customs during this digital transformation of trade controls across borders. The Karachi Customs Agents Association is especially grateful to Pakistan Customs in general and WCO in particular for keeping us on their top agenda of training and learning. I wish to convey my best wishes to the Pakistan Customs on the International Customs Day.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022