Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission (PMIC) to submit a detailed report within three days on the large-scale tampering of Goods Declaration (GD) forms through a breach in the country’s customs clearance system, according to a report published by The Express Tribune.
The Pakistan Single Window (PSW) Company, which manages the WeBOC (Web-Based One Customs) platform, has denied any involvement in the manipulation.
The scam involved the alteration of more than 10,000 GD forms by modifying quantities and descriptions of imported goods, allegedly to evade billions of rupees in duties. The manipulations occurred at dry ports and exploited a previously undetected vulnerability in the WeBOC system.
In its statement, PSW acknowledged the existence of the vulnerability but asserted that it did not require assistance from PSW or IT personnel. It said some importers and clearing agents modified browser scripts to change data such as HS codes and weights in declarations filed at dry ports.
While PSW admitted that WeBOC has been under its management since 2022, it claimed the vulnerability predated its takeover and said manipulation of GDs had occurred even before the Single Window’s involvement. The company added that it had improved the system significantly since assuming control.
The PSW also stated that the manipulation “did not bypass physical customs controls” and that any tax evasion still needed to be confirmed through a post-clearance audit. The company said it had shared all relevant GD data, including those from before its management of WeBOC, with customs authorities.
The PSW maintained that it acts only as a data exchange platform and has no physical role in on-ground customs clearance. It added that its staff do not interact with trade members and that it operates on a self-sustaining business model without government funding—although it charges fees per GD filed.
Following the report, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) ordered a post-clearance audit of Transshipment (TP) GD forms from fiscal year 2022. Officials believe that while HS codes were not altered, other key fields like descriptions and quantities were manipulated to avoid detection.
The PSW said a system fix has now been deployed to prevent further misuse and reiterated its commitment to transparency and data integrity. The FBR has also been directed to take corrective action to safeguard customs processes against similar breaches.
