Customs launches clearance system

KARACHI: Pakistan Customs on Monday launched new clearance system “WeBOC Global” in order to reduce dwell time from five days to 24 hours.

The system was inaugurated by Dr Jawwad Uwais Agha, Member Customs, who said that the new version of WeBOC was introduced at morning 700 hours and it entirely replaced the old clearance system.

“This will be a modern and technologically advanced version of WeBOC which is an end to end automated online goods clearance system home grown by Pakistan Customs in 2011,” the member said.

With the adoption of new system, the Custom clearance system of Pakistan would enter into the club of modern, upgraded and technologically advanced Custom clearance system of the world.

The Member said the upgraded clearance system would plug the deficiencies in the earlier clearance system pointed out during the course of time in internal reviews and ICT Gap Analysis by the World Bank.

Iftikhar Ahmad, collector/convener of the project presented highlights of the new system and functionalities.

He said major modules consist of: the Development of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) with Terminal Operators for Export LCL Cargo, which would reduce dwell time at ports; the Quota Management of Bulk Export Cargo, which would facilitate auto debiting of assigned quota; the establishment of IT interface with Ministry of Foreign Affairs for automation of Exemption Certificates.