FBR issues licensing procedure for aspiring freight forwarders

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has laid down strict procedure for persons intended to obtain licences to operate as freight forwarders.

The FBR has issued an SRO 814(I)/2025 on Friday to notify draft amendments in the Customs Rules 2001.

According to the proposed amendments, upon receipt of application, the licensing authority shall issue license subject to fulfilment of the following specified conditions.

The freight forwarder shall deposit a sum of Rs 200,000 as security deposit for operating in one customs station and Rs500,000 as security deposit for operating in more than one customs station, in the shape of Defence Saving Certificates, pledged to the Collector of Customs.

He shall execute a bond for ensuring good conduct and to follow customs rules and regulations.

The licensee shall apply to the licensing authority as set out in form-C for the grant of Customs permit to such clerks as he/she employs for transacting business at the customs station such as custom house, seaport, airport, rail station or land customs station.

A licensee (freight forwarder) shall act as an intermediary between the cargo owner and the earner and exercise due diligence and take reasonable measures in the performance of freight forwarding services.

He shall arrange inland transportation of goods, maintaining effective communication with the exporter/transport companies so as to ensure that the goods are timely delivered to the port/airport and manage multimodal transportation in a situation where the goods are required to be delivered to the destination through sea, land and/or air route, simultaneously.

A licensee will conduct negotiation of freight rates on exporter/importer with the carriers.

He will also arranging storage and warehousing facility for the goods as and when required by the exporter/importer; (h) prepare and process documents related to all shipment activities, including issuing their own house bill of lading/airway bill, new rules added.

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