ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced plans to extend the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Faceless Customs Assessment System to additional cities beyond Karachi. The initiative, aimed at minimizing human intervention, marks a notable step forward in the digitization efforts of the FBR.

According to a statement by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Prime Minister chaired a meeting in Islamabad where he emphasized the progress achieved in recent months regarding FBR’s digitization and reforms. He highlighted the introduction of the Faceless Customs Assessment System as a historic development in the customs process.

During the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif instructed the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, along with the FBR, to collaborate on enhancing the system further. He also advocated for the integration of artificial intelligence to reduce human involvement in customs assessments.

The Prime Minister directed the immediate expansion of this system to other cities, ensuring that all imports nationwide could benefit from the improved customs processes. Additionally, he called for a comprehensive strategy to implement the track and trace system across various industrial sectors.

The meeting included a briefing on recent FBR reforms, revealing that the faceless customs system is expected to be fully operational at all Karachi Port terminals by the end of next month. Efforts are underway for its nationwide implementation, including the establishment of a central control room to oversee the system.

To enhance transparency, mobile signal jammers and CCTV cameras are being installed at all customs terminals. The briefing also highlighted a transparent recruitment process for the new customs system and the successful implementation of a track and trace system in the tobacco, fertilizers, sugar, and cement industries, which led to increased revenue in the fiscal year 2023-2024 compared to the previous year.

The meeting concluded with an update on the prime minister’s directive to upgrade the web-based One Customs platform, with its design expected to be finalized by the end of March.