Licenced customs agents: APCAA for suspending FBR’s point-scoring, deduction system

KARACHI: All Pakistan Customs Agents Association (APCAA) has formally urged the Chief Collector Customs Appraisement South to suspend the FBR’s point-scoring and deduction system for licensed customs agents, calling for its immediate recalibration before any further enforcement.

In a letter sent to the Chief Collector South, the APCAA strongly criticized its execution, saying it has been deployed in a “haphazard manner without proper calibration or seriousness.”

The APCAA’s core grievance is that the mechanism, rather than targeting actual violations with revenue implications, is deducting points from customs agents even in cases where no fault or violation on their part exists.

“Despite repeated representations to FBR flagging these anomalies, the flaws remain unaddressed, causing what it described as “unnecessary hardship and operational hurdles for licensed customs agents across the country,” the letter said.

The point deduction mechanism, along with the Faceless Assessment System, was introduced as part of the Prime Minister’s broader transformation agenda aimed at bringing transparency and efficiency to customs processes.

APCAA letter said that the customs agent community had welcomed and adopted both reforms despite initial implementation challenges, adding that the point deduction mechanism remains problematic and has yet to receive similar attention and corrective action.

APCAA is now calling for the complete suspension of the system until it is recalibrated in consultation with the association and other relevant stakeholders, insisting that once necessary corrections are made, the system should be reintroduced in a “structured and fair manner,” focusing exclusively on genuine violations that carry actual revenue impact, the letter said.

“The absence of a transparent and consultative approach has resulted in unjustified point deductions and business uncertainty for licensed customs agents,” the letter added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026