ANF Commandant Waqar Haider Rizvi in a meeting at KCCI said that separate inspections of baggage by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and Customs authorities at airports have created hurdles in the way of export and import activities. Replying to questions from participants of the meeting, he said that ANF’s examination procedure could be expedited if it was given access to the WeBOC system, which was being requested for the last three years, but Customs authorities were reluctant to grant the access. Referring to inspections at airports, he said that the ANF felt that it was necessary to request the Customs department to jointly carry out the examinations with ANF officials so that the hardships faced by passengers could be reduced. However, the Customs turned down the request. Replying to concerns over unavailability of ANF staff that often delayed the examination, he said that terminal operators and port authorities were unwilling to give a small office to the ANF, which was the basic reason for the delay. Responding to a participant’s concern related to poor repackaging that caused damage to the goods in transit, Rizvi called on all to discuss and resolve problems. Rizvi suggested that the KCCI should appoint a focal person so that the issues faced by its members in dealing with the ANF could be resolved swiftly. Speaking on the occasion, KCCI President Shariq Vohra urged the ANF to focus on facilitating the business community because in many cases the force was accused of creating hurdles and delaying the clearance of goods.
12/3/2021