Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Ali Hussam Asghar has urged businessmen and importers to make fuller use of Customs’ pre-arrival Goods Declaration (GD) facility so shipments clear faster, delays shrink, cash flow improves and the cost of doing business falls.
He made the appeal at the Lahore Chamber during a meeting with Chief Collector Appraisement (South) Wajid Ali. LCCI Senior Vice President Sardar Usman Ghani, Vice President Chaudhry Khadim Hussain and Collector Appraisement Beelum Ramzan also spoke. Clearing-agent representatives and other chamber members attended.
How pre-arrival clearance works
Wajid Ali said Customs had advanced automation and trade facilitation over the past eight to ten years, yet terminal charges, container detention, cargo handling, scanning and examination delays still impose heavy costs on importers. He said tariff reforms are expected to cut duties on raw materials further over the next three years, so quicker clearance and lower logistics costs will matter more for industry.
He explained that the pre-arrival clearance facility, introduced in July 2025, allows importers and customs agents to file a Goods Declaration after the Import General Manifest (IGM) — the vessel’s cargo list — has been filed, without waiting for the ship to berth. About 10 percent of import clearances currently use the pre-arrival GD route. Customs wants that share raised significantly, with a target of up to 50 percent, and asked the chamber, agents and importers to spread awareness.
On air cargo, he said Customs is working on an Air Cargo Communication System. On value mismatches, he said amounts on some banking papers, including the Financial Instrument (FI), can differ from the value Customs later assesses. Congestion at Karachi’s major terminals, he added, is disrupting scanning and physical examination schedules; limited yard space can slow cargo movement.
What Lahore traders asked for
Asghar praised Customs’ automation gains but said everyday frictions for industrialists and traders still need fixing. He said LCCI opened a Complaint Centre on the first day of the new leadership’s tenure and linked it to the dashboards of 11 economic ministries, and he proposed closer ties between Lahore’s Customs Collectorates and that centre.
He asked authorities to consult stakeholders before filing FIRs or taking enforcement action where appropriate, saying businesses want fair process and a chance to explain themselves—not cover for wrongdoing. He welcomed indications that LCCI leaders could join relevant consultations on sales tax and FIR-related matters.
The chamber has flagged three provincial laws for proposed amendments: the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) Act, Punjab Food Authority rules and Environmental Protection Agency legislation. Those ideas were earlier put to Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan during a visit to LCCI, and the chamber expects to take them to standing committees.
Asghar also sought a stronger, better-empowered Customs Valuation Regional Directorate in Lahore so valuation disputes can be settled locally instead of through repeated trips to Karachi, plus online or Zoom hearings where suitable, and appointment of a focal person by the Chief Collector Appraisement.
Banking papers and Lahore’s clearance share
Sardar Usman Ghani said I-Form requirements and bank-side delays in getting or processing documents can block pre-arrival use, and he urged Customs and banks to fix that gap. He also raised concern that procedure changes may be shifting clearance work and related revenue from Lahore toward Karachi, noted vacant sanctioned posts in Lahore, and asked for clarity on revenue targets for Lahore Customs.
Chaudhry Khadim Hussain said importers need plain guidance on pre-arrival filing, documents, valuation, scanning, examinations and the roles of terminals and banks.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Customs ka pre-arrival GD system pehle se maujood hai, lekin abhi sirf lagbhag 10 percent imports is se clear ho rahi hain. LCCI ke president ne Lahore ke traders se kaha ke is facility ko zyada use karein taake mal jaldi chhutey aur kharcha kam ho. Customs chahta hai ke yeh hisa 50 percent tak barhey. Bank documents aur Karachi terminals ki rush ab bhi rukawat ban sakti hain, is liye asani ke liye wazeh hidayat aur behtar coordination zaroori hai.
