ISLAMABAD: Customs officials, Frontier Constabulary (FC), Pakistan Rangers and terminal operators would be bound to daily sign the reconciliation statement containing details of cross-border movement of vehicles carrying goods specifically Afghan Transit Trade items through Border Customs Stations.

Through an SRO267(I)/2021 issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) here on Wednesday, the FBR has issued a new procedure for monitoring of the goods through Border Customs Stations.

Under the new procedure, all cross-border authorisations collected by customs authorities as well by Frontier Corps or Pakistan Rangers and terminal operator shall be reconciled to ensure that all the requisite transport units which were issued gate-passes have crossed the border.

The daily imports and exports statements reconciled jointly shall be countersigned by the concerned assistant/deputy collector, incharge of the entry or exit gates.

While, the Directorate of Transit Trade shall conduct the reconciliation of transit cargo and empty containers as per mechanism already given under the rules.

The cross-border officer (customs officer) shall record the confirmation of export in the system, after physically-verifying export cargo at the terminal/station exit gate, and shall generate system-based three copies of “Cross-border authorization” to be collected at the zero-line by the officials of Customs, FC and terminal operator respectively, to ensure cross-border movement of the vehicle and cargo.

Everyday in the morning, Customs, FC and terminal operator shall reconcile all the import manifests of the incoming vehicles of the previous day with a system generated list that GDs have been filed for all incoming vehicles.

In case, goods declaration (GD) is not filed within 48 hours of the arrival of the vehicle, the reasons may be ascertained by the Customs for late filing of ID including verification of location of the vehicle inside the custom station or terminal.

At the end of the day, all cross-border authorisations collected by the customs authorities as well by the FC and terminal operator shall be re-reconciled to ensure that all the/at requisite transport units which were issued gate-passes have crossed the border.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021