Customs Officer Rejects FBR Reward, Calling it Inappropriate and Disturbing

A Pakistan Customs Assistant Collector has formally rejected a reward granted under the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) new performance-based evaluation system, calling it “inappropriate” and “disturbing”. According to the letter, the officer doesn’t trust the framework used to assess civil servant officers. The officer, placed in Category B under the system, was entitled to receive three additional salaries as a reward. The officer wrote, “As per the categorization framework, a Category ‘B’ rating implies a degree of inefficiency and questions an officer’s integrity – a characterization I categorically reject. Throughout my service, I have upheld the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and dedication, and I find it deeply inappropriate and disturbing to be placed in a category that does not reflect my conduct or performance”. The assessment/rating/categorization mechanism heavily relied on evaluations by officers, seniors, and peers, who may have had little to no direct working relationship with the individuals they are rating. This raises serious concerns regarding the transparency, objectivity, and credibility of the entire process, especially when judgments are passed on critical attributes such as integrity and quality of work without a sound basis, the letter read. The officer added, “In my view, any reward system must be grounded in transparency, impartiality, and a well-informed understanding of an officer’s actual performance and professional conduct. A system lacking these foundational principles risks compromising both credibility and morale”. “It is on these grounds that I choose to decline the financial reward associated with this assessment. This decision is not a dismissal of institutional recognition, but rather a principled stance in support of merit-based and credible mechanisms of evaluation-standards we must all collectively uphold,” the officer added.