I JOINED the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) in February 2017 in the capacity of Preventive Officer in BPS-16 after qualifying the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) examination and selection process.

I noticed a very strange anomaly in the FBR’s Customs field cadre service structure. Preventive officers who have served in the Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Preventive, Custom House, Karachi, for almost 32/33 years are still in the same grade, viz BPS-16, but they are designated as Superintendents, Preventive Service, wearing four stripes on their uniforms.

My worries are compounded. Where I will stand in the next five to 10 years from now? Or I will also retire in the same grade after serving 40 years like my predecessors.

Could someone like the FBR Chairman, Member (Admin) or Member (Customs), explain this administrative chaos and anomaly in the service structure of the Customs department. I am quite hopeful that FBR high-ups would take suitable steps to rationalize the service structure of the Customs Department, in general, and that of the of MCC Preventive, Custom House, Karachi, in particular.

Ali Raza Kazmi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2018