TORKHAM: Collectorate of Customs Additional Collector Shahid Jan has said that National Logistics Cell (NLC) should provide Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) kits to the customs staff who are performing their duties during COVID-18.
Talking with Customs Today during an exclusive interview Shahid Jan said that entire exports have started through Afghan border since 4th May 2020 where approximately 35 trucks passed through border carrying goods daily.
He said that currently no scanner is installed at Export Terminal but outbreak of COVID-19, Torkham Customs station utilize scanner installed at import terminal for scanning of exporting goods.
Telling the importance of scanning process the Additional Collector said that scanner is helpful for examine the single item export consignment, after scanning and attaching photographs of product along with the GD (goods declaration) the consignment could pass the border without opening it he quoted “scanner help for smoothly and speedily work, while without having scanner availability goods could not check properly.
Answering to another query he said that because NLC (National Logistic Cell) is custodian of the Torkham border, mostly customs staff did not interact with drivers and etc but few of the Customs staff who personally interact with drivers must wear PPE (personal protection equipment) and NLC must provide PPE to them urgently so they can work freely to checks the consignment and could maintained vigilance.
Telling the Exports performance of Torkham customs station, he said that around 100 vehicles carrying Pakistani kinoo per day exporting to Afghanistan under ATTA (Afghan Transit Trade Agreement) while on the other hand 25 GDs have been cleared carrying fresh Kino of 1319MT in value of Rs31 millions during month of April 2020.
Shahid Jan is a Customs officer of BS19 who worked on many important positions during his service, he is recently transferred from Customs House GB (Gilgit Baltistan) to Customs station Torkham when Torkham scam of hundreds of vehicles of non duty paid consignments were flared up.