FBR to Cancel Licences of Customs Agents for Misdeclaration and False Statements

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to cancel the licences of customs clearing agents for violations like misdeclaration and false statements made by the licensees under a new point system. The FBR has amended Customs Rules, 2001 here on Friday through the issuance of an SRO.2071. Under the new procedure, a customs computerized system shall be so devised to introduce a point system for violation of misdeclaration and false statement by the licensee which shall entail automatic penalty by way of deduction of points from the aggregate of 50. In case of reduction of aggregate points to zero, the licence shall be blocked and proceedings for revocation, cancellation or restoration shall be initiated in the customs computerized system. A licence shall be blocked and proceedings for revocation or cancellation shall be initiated in the customs computerized system in the following cases: – (i); Reduction of aggregate points awarded in the customs computerized system to zero and failure to file any goods declaration within past one year and failure to appear for identification and confirmation before the licensing authority, FBR added. According to the FBR’s procedure, the Board shall each year on November 1, invite applications through advertisement in reputable newspapers from prospective eligible applicants for grant of customs agents licence through a competitive process in accordance with the terms and conditions specified therein. In the case of the first examination under these rules, the same shall be held at any time after the hiring of an accredited institution to conduct the qualification test. There shall be a qualification test for the grant of a customs agent licence to be conducted by an accredited institution, which will be specified in the advertisement published in two leading national newspapers. The qualification test shall cover customs laws, allied regulations, rules and procedures, computer proficiency, and knowledge of customs computerized systems, as set out in the Appendix. The existing provisional licence holders shall appear in the first examination to be conducted under this rule and if they fail to appear, their provisional licenses shall stand cancelled. There shall be two chances of appearance in the examination and on 2nd-time failure, the provisional licence shall be blocked and the last 3rd chance shall be available to them. No application shall be considered for the grant of licence if the applicant fails to secure at least fifty percent marks in the written examination, FBR rules added.