KARACHI, Dec 30: The on-going economic reforms are yet to bring about the much-needed changes, particularly in core areas, such as exports and revenue-collection.

Trade and industry blame age-old lacunas and hurdles created by official machinery for the failure.

The collection of revenue and exports are two major areas on which much of the economic performance depends but trade and industry continue to complain that there is a little change in the mind-set of bureaucracy which continues to resist changes and also creates impediments in smooth working of these two major sectors.

It is being generally complained that these reforms could not bring in a cultural change, resulting in retardation and sluggish performance in exports and revenue collection.

Many exporters told Dawn that customs create unnecessary problems for exporters as on many occasions containers loaded with export consignments had been shut-out only because officials did not clear them in time, and it disturbed the shipping schedule.

Once the shipping schedule is missed, exporters normally have to either wait for the next ship or airlift consignments to save the export contract or cancellation of Letters of Credit (L/C).

The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) recently directed the customs to work on Sundays to clear export contract.

However, exporters complain that normally the customs officials are not available on Sundays which delays clearance of export consignments.

A leading exporter, requesting anonymity, said that last Sunday his two containers were shut-out because there was no customs staff at the Port Qasim to clear the export consignment.

He said after a long chase, he managed to get hold of the collector who immediately posted a staff member at Port Qasim. However, as a lot of time was already wasted, his containers were shut-out as the vessel left on schedule. Responding to a query, the exporter said many other lacunas were there which result in long delays in the clearance of export consignments.

“We do not object to the Anti-Narcotics checking, however, since there is only one dog to sniff the export consignments, this results in detention or long delay of export consignments,” he maintained.

There is a greater need to infuse export culture in all such government departments which directly or indirectly handle export cargo.

Similarly, the industry has a long list of complaints about the working of Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) under which Customs Administrative Reforms (CARe) are being carried out.

Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president Majyd Aziz told Dawn that he has formed a committee to take this issue with the chairman CBR.

He said the committee had a one-point agenda to appraise the CBR chief about the flaws in the CARe which was causing billions of rupees revenue loss to the national exchequer.

Responding to a question, he said the committee would meet the CBR chairman, Abdullah Yousuf, after Eidul Azha and apprise him as to how unscrupulous elements, with the connivance of customs authorities, were fleecing the national kitty.