Directives issued to address delay in goods clearance

Participants stressed the need for closer cooperation among all stakeholders including traders and terminal operators to improve operational efficiency.They also reviewed the issue of consignments selected for scanning.

It was observed that scanning should be scheduled efficiently to avoid unnecessary delay while meeting regulatory and security requirements.

The maritime minister directed Customs authorities to evaluate the scanning process, identify causes of delay and work with relevant stakeholders to streamline operations.

He also called for greater use of the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and advanced electronic processing to facilitate clearance before, or immediately upon, cargo arrival.He directed the authorities to examine the existing procedures and identify opportunities to reduce processing time through digitalisation, advance filing and improved coordination among the Customs, exporters, shipping lines, port operators and PSW stakeholders.The exporters raised concerns over longer transit times caused by disruptions to international….

The meeting noted that route changes and longer vessel journeys caused additional challenges for shipments.Chaudhry stressed that the issues required both immediate operational measures and longer-term improvements in shipping connectivity.

He said the concerns raised by exporters would be addressed through a coordinated mechanism.It was agreed that the Customs, exporters and PSW would remain engaged through the relevant coordination mechanism and hold follow-up discussions on cargo dwell time and scanning-related issues.The minister emphasised the need for prompt and practical measures to address port and Customs bottlenecks affecting the competitiveness of Pakistan's textile exports.

He directed the relevant authorities to work closely with exporters, port authorities, Customs, PSW and shipping lines to improve clearance efficiency and facilitate shorter and more predictable transit times.