PESHAWAR: Collector Custom Collectorate Gul Rahman said that World Custom Organization has dedicated 2018 for strengthening the security of business development with the slogan “a secure business environment for economic development”.
Addressing on the eve of International Custom Day Gul Rahman said that International Custom Day is being celebrated annually by the global custom community on each 26th January in honor of the inaugural session of the custom cooperation council which took place on 26 January 1953 attended seventeen European countries.
He added that in 1994 the custom cooperation council was renamed as world custom organization and today custom organization from 179 countries including Pakistan are WCO members.
He maintained that the development of international trade was not an end in itself but rather a vehicle through which economic development can be achieved. He said that they should strive to create an environment for business that will foster their participation in trade for the benefit of all.
He said that with this mind it is imperative to ask ourselves how can as custom coordinate to better secure the business environment to boost economic prosperity.
He informed that Customs Collectorate in perspective of this year them has to play a very important role in combating smuggling and creating safe fair and sustainable environment for the war affected province of Pakistan.
He claimed that in the field of anti-smuggling activities this Collectorate during the period July 2017 to January 2018 has seized huge quantity of contraband goods including gold, currency, general merchandise goods and narcotics worth billion of rupees.
Owing to concerned efforts in the field of revenue collection MCC Peshawar during the first six months of the financial year 2017-18 has not only achieved the assigned revenue target of duty and taxes but also surpassed the same by 16% of the assigned target and 30% of the previous year collection during the same period.
He informed that these achievements have been made possible due to untiring efforts of each member of the team. He said that they appreciate all officers and staff members of Customs Peshawar for showing this extra ordinary performance during the period.
He said that Customs Peshawar is struggling hard in creating a facilitative environment border station for clearance exports and import. He said that for in order to enhance trade facilitation further improvement are underway in WeBOC system and soon the entire business will be shifted to WEBOC.
“To facilitate trade at Torkham a state of the art custom station under the ITTMS financial but Asian development bank is being developed. Hopefully it will be completed by year 2020” he remarked.
The collector further said that developmental works at Customs station Kharlachi and Ghulam Khan are in progress as Ghulam Khan custom station was closed in 2014 due to security reason but now officers’ staff has been posted and the same will be operational in the first week of February 2018 for all kind of export and import.