High-level meeting chaired by Chief Collector Customs South finalizes key measures to speed up container clearance and ease port congestion.
A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Collector Customs Appraisement (South) Wajid Ali discussed major reforms aimed at improving the efficiency and speed of Pakistan’s Pre-Arrival Clearance system, stakeholders said on Monday.
According to Waqas Anjum, the seminar brought together senior customs officials, shipping agents, customs agents, and representatives of various trade bodies to deliberate on operational bottlenecks and facilitation measures under the Pre-Arrival Clearance regime.
The meeting was attended by Collector Customs Nayyer Shafiq, Afnan Khan, and Chairman of Pakistan Ships Agents Association Muhammad Rajpar.
Participants unanimously agreed that immediate and practical interventions are necessary to reduce import clearance delays, improve port congestion management, and accelerate overall trade operations.
During the meeting, the delegation of Karachi Customs Agents Association requested the Pakistan Ships Agents Association to ensure timely filing of manifests under the Pre-Arrival Clearance regime. Muhammad Rajpar assured participants that an advisory would be issued to improve compliance and operational efficiency.
Stakeholders agreed that shipping lines should ensure early manifest filing to facilitate importers and customs agents operating under the Pre-Arrival system. It was also decided that any required rules, standard operating procedures, or frameworks would be developed jointly by Customs authorities, shipping lines, and customs agents to ensure a harmonized process.
A key breakthrough was achieved regarding containers selected for scanning under the Pre-Arrival system. The meeting decided that such containers would be scanned immediately after discharge from vessels instead of being shifted to stacking areas first. Necessary instructions in this regard will be issued to terminal operators to streamline the process.
The meeting also finalized special facilitation measures for containers marked for examination or routed to the Red Channel. Under the new arrangement, these containers will be shifted directly to examination areas to avoid unnecessary delays and additional handling costs.
Participants further discussed streamlining the procedure for Goods Declaration (GD) cancellation in cases involving amendments, short shipments, or technical discrepancies in Pre-Arrival GDs. It was agreed that a clear and expedited timeframe for GD cancellation would be established to prevent operational difficulties for traders and customs agents.
Waqas Anjum said the meeting witnessed active participation from President KCAA Yahya Muhammad, Senior Vice President Tariq Rasheed Khan, Joint Secretary Danish Riaz, representatives of shipping lines, and other stakeholder associations.
He added that the collective engagement and constructive input from all stakeholders made the meeting highly productive and result-oriented. The agreed measures are expected to improve port operations, reduce clearance times, and provide meaningful facilitation to the business community while strengthening the effectiveness of the Pre-Arrival Clearance system across Pakistan.