SCCI President Raises Key Customs Facilitation Issues; Chief Collector Assures Follow-up Mr. Khawar Hussain Spall, President, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), highlighted key operational challenges faced by Sialkot’s export-oriented business community during a meeting with Mr. Naveed Elahi, Chief Collector (Appraisement), Punjab, at SCCI on October 13, 2026. The meeting was attended by Mr. Syed Ali Abbas Gardezi, Collector of Customs, Sialkot, and other Customs officers. The President specifically raised the need to: • Facilitate multiple financial instruments against a single import Goods Declaration (GD) in line with actual international payment arrangements. • Establish a clear procedure for de-stuffing or transferring imported goods before filing the Bill of Entry, where permissible, to avoid unnecessary container detention and demurrage. • Expedite HS Code approvals to prevent clearance delays and additional costs. • Introduce transparent, online processing and tracking of Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) applications, HS Code-related matters and quota enhancement requests. • Resolve delays in duty drawback payments, which constrain exporters’ working capital. • Adopt a facilitative approach to EFS stock-taking, allowing genuine documentation discrepancies to be corrected where the law permits, rather than resorting immediately to penalties or enforcement action. Responding to the concerns, Mr. Naveed Elahi reaffirmed that Customs has an important role in facilitating trade and exports, particularly in Sialkot, which he acknowledged as a key contributor to Pakistan’s exports. He noted that Sialkot has approximately 600 EFS users and stated that issues falling within the department’s authority would be pursued, while matters requiring policy-level decisions would be referred to the relevant forums. The Chief Collector highlighted the existing pre-clearance facility, under which importers can file their GD before a container arrives, potentially helping resolve documentation issues earlier. He also supported improved online monitoring of EFS applications so applicants can track their status and delays at different processing levels.

On October 13, 2026, Khawar Hussain Spall, President, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), held a meeting with a delegation of United Bank Limited (UBL) comprising Mr. Ibraheem Khalid, General Manager, UBL Sialkot; Mr. Khawaja Mansoor Ashraf, Regional Head Sales; and Mr. Hassan Raza, Regional Head Sales Center.

On October 13, 2026, Mr. Asad Naseer Malik, Senior Vice President, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), attended an online webinar on the Punjab Infrastructure Development Cess (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Bill No. 19 of 2026), organized by Pakistan Single Window (PSW). The webinar served to provide much-needed clarifications regarding the PIDC. It was noted that temporary imports shall remain exempt from the Cess, while there would be no levy on exports, considering their zero rated status granted by the Federal Government of Pakistan.

On October 12, 2026, Khawar Hussain Spall, President, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), along with Mr. Asad Naseer Malik, Senior Vice President, and Chaudhry Jahangir Rashid, Vice President, attended a ceremony organized in honour of the newly elected Office Bearers.

On October 12, 2026, Mr. Fazal Jilani, Chairman of AirSial, along with Mr. Qaiser Iqbal, Senior Vice Chairman, and Mr. Ameen Ahsan, Chief Executive Officer, visited the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) to convey their heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the newly elected Office Bearers, Mr. Khawar Hussain Spall (President), Mr. Asad Naseer Malik (Senior Vice President), and Chaudhry Jahangir Rashid (Vice President).