Pakistan scaled
up 31 positions in the Trading Across Border Index. It has enabled the country to
position up 28 places i.e. from 136th to 108th, in World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing
Business 2020’, according to press release on Wednesday.
Pakistan has
climbed up from 142nd to 111th on the rank of the Trading Across Border Index,
which aided its improvement in its ranking in the WB’s "Ease of Doing Business index".
“After
improving its rank, Pakistan secured a place among the top 10 countries that
have done the most in the corresponding year to improve the “ease of doing
business” in their countries. This milestone has led Pakistan to be the sixth
global reformer and first in South Asia that has brought ease in doing business
for the national, international trade,” World Bank press release said.
Lets see how Pakistan has moved up on Trading Across Border Index & improved to "Ease of doing business" position. The Federal
Board of Revenue FBR has made trading across borders easier by focusing on
three crucial areas:
- One is by enhancing the integration of various agencies in the Web-Based One Customs (WEBOC) electronic system
- This followed in reducing the number of documents required for import and export clearances
- It enhanced capacities of the Pakistan Customs officials for playing a proactive role in smoothly regulating border trade
Border
facilitation is amongst the top priority areas as per the comprehensive policy
laid down by the government. The better ranking made possible by concerted
efforts by the Pakistan Customs, under FBR,. It eventually led to remarkable
performance in terms of compliance to the provisions of the World Trade
Organization (WTO)’s Trade Facilitation Agreement.
Pakistan has
been capable to reduce the dwell time (at the borders and ports) for imports
and exports. It is done by increasing the percentage of clearances through
Green Channel. One big milestone that helped in better ranking is to reduce the
time required for overall trade.
- The time required for documentary compliance to effect exports that has been reduced from 55 hours to 24 hours.
- The time required for overall border compliance to affect exports has also been reduced from 75 hours to 24 hours.
- The time required for documentary compliance to effect imports has been reduced from 143 hours to 24 hours
- The time required for overall border compliance to effect imports has also been reduced from 120 hours to 24 hours.
In order to
further improve Pakistan’s position in the Trading Across Border criterion, the
Federal Board of Revenue FBR is practicing immediate completion of Regional
Improvement of Border Services (RIBS) and Pakistan Single Window.
Regional
Improvement of Border Services (RIBS) is being implemented at Torkham
(Afghan-Pak border), Chaman (Pak-Afghan border), and Wahga (Pak-India border)
and is the flagship programme that aims at improving border-crossing facilities
which are key transit points to Afghanistan and India.
The Pakistan
Single Window would integrate online at least 46 departments or agencies in
Pakistan. It would make trading across borders a comfortable and faultless
operation.