In a major achievement towards ensuring ease of doing business, Pakistanhas improved 31 positions (from 142nd to 111th) on the rank of TradingAcross Border Index.
Federal Board of Revenue made trading across borders easier by focusing onthree crucial areas: enhancing the integration of various agencies in theWeb-Based One Customs (WEBOC) electronic system; reducing the number ofdocuments required for import/export clearances; enhancing capacities ofPakistan Customs officials for playing a pro-active role in smoothlyregulating border trade.
Climbing up the ladder in the Trading Across Border Index has enabledPakistan in jumping up 28 places – from 136th to 108th – in World Bank’s(WB)’s ‘Ease of Doing Business 2020’ and securing a place among the top 10countries have done the most in the corresponding/past year to improve theease of doing business in their countries.
This milestone has led Pakistan to be the sixth global reformer and firstin South Asia that has brought ease in doing business for thenational/international trade.
It is important to note that border facilitation is amongst the toppriority areas as per the comprehensive policy laid down by the Government.Concerted efforts by Pakistan Customs, under FBR, led to impressiveperformance in terms of compliance to the provisions of the World TradeOrganization (WTO)’s Trade Facilitation Agreement; hence, complementingPakistan’s rise in the Trading Across Border Index.
Pakistan Customs has pursued the implementation of effective customscontrols so that compliant trade is thoroughly facilitated, whilelesser/non-compliant trade is diverted to detailed scrutiny.
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This strategy worked well, as conceived by Pakistan Customs, and has gone along way in reducing the dwell time (at the borders/ports) forimports/exports in Pakistan by increasing the percentage of clearancesthrough Green Channel. For instance, the time required for documentarycompliance to effect exports has been reduced from 55 hours to 24 hours,and the time required for overall border compliance to effect exports hasalso been reduced from 75 hours to 24 hours.
Similarly, the time required for documentary compliance to effect importshas been reduced from 143 hours to 24 hours, and the time required foroverall border compliance to effect imports has also been reduced from 120hours to 24 hours.
In order to further improve Pakistan’s position in the Trading AcrossBorder criterion, the Federal Board of Revenue is pursuing simultaneouscompletion of Regional Improvement of Border Services (RIBS) and PakistanSingle Window. Regional Improvement of Border Services (RIBS) is beingimplemented at Torkham, Chaman, and Wahga and is the Flagship program thataims at improving border-crossing facilities which are key transit pointsto Afghanistan and India.
Pakistan Single Window, on the other hand, would integrate online at least46 departments/agencies in Pakistan and would make trading across borders ahassle-free and seamless operation.
