Pakistan Federal Board of Revenue maintains faceless customs assessment reform

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reaffirmed its commitment to the Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA) initiative, confirming that the relocation of the Central Appraising Unit to Islamabad will proceed. The FBR stated this move is a key phase in modernizing customs administration by reducing discretionary powers and limiting direct interaction between traders and officials through a transparent, system-driven process.

The decision follows concerns from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) regarding valuation disputes, laboratory referrals, and clearance delays. The FBR responded that performance data cited by the association primarily reflected the initial months of implementation and did not account for subsequent improvements. According to the board, average customs clearance times have decreased from 40.2 hours to 20.57 hours, with 83 percent of consignments now cleared within 48 hours.

While the assessment function is moving to Islamabad, the FBR clarified that other operations will remain local. Physical examinations and port operations will continue in Karachi, and traders can still approach their respective Karachi collectorates to resolve issues. To address remaining bottlenecks, the board plans to implement dedicated backlog clearance for export facilitation schemes and green channel facilitation for Authorized Economic Operators.