FBR opts for human monitoring of Afghan cargo

The government has temporarily halted satellite tracking of containers carrying imported goods to Afghanistan from seaports and instead begun monitoring them through human surveillance a move that may increase the chances of smuggling. After withdrawing the license of a company that had been tracking container movements through GSM and satellite since 2013, last week, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) handed over the task to four firms. These firms were selected based on four-year-old technical qualifications and without any competitive process, according to official documents. In a written statement, FBR Director General for Transit Trade Mohsin Rafique confirmed that four firms have been "authorised regarding tracking of the cargo by the Licensing Committee, as these companies were already technically evaluated and found eligible by the Licensing Committee in its meeting dated April 6, 2021.