FBR to Crack Down on Non-Compliant Terminal Operators at Ports and Borders

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will suspend/cancel registration of Terminal Operators of sea port/off-dock terminal/dry port or land border station, in cases where there is non-compliance to the minimum laid down requirements.

According to the customs general order (CGO) 7 of 2025 issued by the FBR, according to rule 548 of the Customs Rules, 2001, every terminal operator conducting terminal operations under the Customs Computerized System (CCS) is required to fulfil the minimum requirements specified under rule 554 relating to building and infrastructure, examination facilities, secure environment. Information Technology and documentation.

The provisions of rules 548 to 554 are mutatis mutandis applicable on off-dock terminal operators in terms of rule 554A. The off-dock terminal operators are further obliged to fulfil the requirements mentioned in the guidelines issued by the Federal Board of Revenue in July 2024.

Moreover, the aforesaid provisions are equally applicable to dry ports and land border stations registered as terminal operators in the CCS.

To ensure regular and periodic verification of the minimum requirements provided under Customs Rules, the following instructions are being issued for strict compliance by all concerned:

1. Inspection of the minimum requirements or conditions at the sea terminal, off-dock terminal, dry port or land border station, as the case may be, will be carried out every six months by the concerned regulatory collectorate. The inspection report will categorically state the level of availability of each specific requirement as envisaged in rule 554 or 554A, as the case may be.
2. In case any shortcomings or deficiencies are pointed out in the inspection report, the respective terminal operator of the sea port/ off-dock terminal/ dry port or land border station will be intimated in writing to fulfil the same within fifteen days and submit a compliance report to the Collectorate.
3. Where the terminal operator of sea port/off-dock terminal/ dry port or land border station fails to comply with requirement or does not respond to the inspection report, the Regulatory Collector shall initiate proceedings for suspension/ cancellation of registration of the terminal operator in terms of the provisions of rule 553 of the Customs Rules, 2001 read with Section 155F of the Customs Act, 1969.
4. Where the registration of a terminal operator of a sea port/off-dock terminal/ dry port or land border station, is suspended or cancelled in terms of rule 553 for the reasons mentioned above, the same will be restored if the Regulatory Collector is satisfied that they have complied with the requirements envisaged under the rules.