The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) has strongly recommended the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to restore satellite tracking of transit cargo containers destined for Afghanistan.
In a letter, PBC has expressed concern over FBR’s decision to terminate the satellite tracking of transit cargo containers destined for Afghanistan. Reliance on Customs resources to physically monitor movement and placing tracking devices in prime mover trucks instead of on the containers will enhance the risk of cargo diversion, it said.
The PBC said that misuse of the transit trade arrangements causes loss of tax revenue, undermines local industry, and impacts employment.
On several occasions, the Pakistan Business Council has recommended measures to reduce the incidence and magnitude of diversion. This included tracking containers beyond the Pakistan/Afghanistan border and verifying that returning containers were empty. Without monitoring devices on the container locks, there is no technical certainty that the prime mover trucks will carry the cargo they are meant to, as containers may be switched through collusion.
PBC said that the stakeholders should be informed about how quickly the technology required to ensure that transit cargo leaves and does not return to Pakistan can be deployed.
“Also, how will the process you intend to follow in the interim and the people you plan to use provide adequate comfort regarding the loss of tax revenue and the impact on the formal sector in Pakistan?” PBC questioned in its letter.
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