FBR To Restructure It’s Customs Department

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has chosen to reorganize the Customs Department in order to review and potentially revise the organizational structure and career advancement opportunities for the operational staff within Customs.

In more detail, the FBR has put forth a plan to restructure the Customs Department, focusing on reevaluating the department’s structure and career progression paths for the operational staff within the BS-5 to BS-16 grade range.

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Back in 2013, the upgradation of BS-14 positions within the Customs Department to BS-16 resulted in various roles, including Inspectors, Preventive Officers, Intelligence Officers, Examiners, Appraisers, Valuation Officers, Senior Intelligence Officers, Inspectors (Preventive Service), and Deputy Superintendents, all placed at the BS-16 level, aligning them with Superintendents Customs, Superintendent Preventive Service, and Principal Appraisers.

While this move temporarily addressed the longstanding issue of career advancement for these officials, it also led to significant administrative challenges related to supervision, compliance, and career growth.

With these objectives in mind, the Management and Human Resources team within Customs, in consultation with the Member (Customs-Operations) of the FBR, have proposed a restructuring plan aimed at revisiting the department’s structure and career advancement pathways for the operational staff within Customs, specifically those in the BS-5 to BS-16 grade range.

The Member (Customs-Operations) at the FBR has requested that this plan be presented to a Vetting Committee for a thorough examination and the generation of recommendations and findings.

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The Committee will be composed of Pakistan Customs Officers at grades 20 and 21, including Wajid Ali, Mirza Mubassir Baig, Muhammad Junaid Jalil Khan, Muhammad Saleem, Tahir Qureshi, and SanaUllah. They will provide their findings to Customs within fifteen (15) days.

Recruitment for BS-11 and BS-14 positions will continue to be handled by the Department, but the Vetting Committee will determine the recruitment process, including eligibility criteria and qualifications needed to work within the department.

Additionally, the Committee will examine job titles and take into consideration any concerns or issues raised by the existing cadre before submitting final recommendations.

The Committee is also open to suggesting alternative career paths or schemes for the Customs Operational Cadres, apart from the proposed restructuring plan.

In addition to the named Committee Members, they have the flexibility to include any other individuals they believe could assist in completing this task. The Committee is expected to engage with stakeholders at all levels to solidify its opinions before submitting the final report.