Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif says significant progress has been made in the last few months regarding digitization and reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue.

According to Radio Pakistan, during a meeting in Islamabad focused on FBR matters, Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the introduction of the Faceless Customs Assessment System, a first in the customs process, aimed at reducing human intervention. This system marks a milestone in the FBR's digitization efforts.

The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and the Federal Board of Revenue to collaborate to enhance the system further. He emphasized the need to incorporate artificial intelligence to minimize human involvement. Additionally, Shehbaz Sharif urged for the expansion of the Faceless Customs Assessment System to cities beyond Karachi to ensure nationwide benefits.

The meeting also covered the development of a comprehensive strategy for implementing a track and trace system across various industrial sectors. Officials briefed attendees about recent FBR reforms, stating that the faceless customs system will be fully functional at all Karachi Port terminals by the end of the next month. Nationwide implementation is underway, with a central control room being set up for system monitoring.

Additional measures, such as installing mobile signal jammers and CCTV cameras at all terminals, are being taken to increase system transparency. The meeting also reported on the initiation of a transparent recruitment process for the new customs system and the track and trace system's implementation in tobacco, fertilizers, sugar, and cement industries.

The meeting revealed that the track and trace system has led to increased revenue from these industries in the fiscal year 2023-2024 compared to the previous year. Under the Prime Minister's directive, the upgradation of the web-based One Customs has begun, with design completion expected by the end of March.