PM Orders Third-Party Audit of WeBOC System, Other FBR Projects

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday ordered a third-party audit of ongoing reform projects within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Web-Based One Customs (WeBOC) System. The premier during a meeting on affairs of Pakistan Customs and FBR said these audits must be ensured at all levels to maintain transparency and accountability. He said the Customs Department was the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and reforms and complete digitization of FBR were essential for economic survival. He instructed that all ongoing reforms and digitization projects in the FBR should be consolidated under a single umbrella to streamline efforts. Shehbaz also instructed FBR to enhance tax revenue by improving its enforcement system and to eliminate corruption in customs operations at ports. He emphasized the need to remove unnecessary obstacles in customs procedures and called for the use of modern tech like artificial intelligence to enforce customs duties more effectively. The PM instructed to eliminate under-invoicing to protect local industries and products. He directed that details of revenue collected through enforcement should be communicated clearly and a regulatory framework for the operations of the shipping sector should be implemented. The meeting was also briefed that Pakistan Customs has been fully automated with assistance from international standards experts. These reforms are expected to introduce a new system based on the latest artificial intelligence technologies. Notably, 72.4 percent of imports and exports were cleared through the green channel in 2023-2024, and Pakistan Customs earned an additional Rs. 240 billion through valuation controls during the same period, an 80 percent increase compared to last year.