ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced that it will suspend or cancel the registration of terminal operators at sea ports, off-dock terminals, dry ports, or land border stations if they fail to meet minimum requirements for infrastructure, information technology, and documentation.
The decision follows the issuance of Customs General Order (CGO) 7 of 2025, which aims to strengthen the monitoring and supervision of terminal operators. According to FBR’s procedures, terminal operators must comply with rule 548 of the Customs Rules, 2001, which mandates minimum standards in infrastructure, secure environment, examination facilities, IT systems, and documentation.
FBR also clarified that off-dock terminal operators must adhere to the same standards as those outlined in rule 554A and follow guidelines provided by FBR in July 2024. These provisions are also applicable to dry ports and land border stations that are registered as terminal operators within the Customs Computerized System (CCS).
To enforce these regulations, the FBR has outlined specific measures for regular inspection. Every six months, the concerned regulatory collectorate will inspect the terminal operators to ensure they meet the required standards. The inspection report will detail whether each requirement has been met.
If deficiencies are found, terminal operators will be given 15 days to address the issues and submit a compliance report. Failure to comply will result in the suspension or cancellation of the operator’s registration, as per rule 553 of the Customs Rules, 2001 and Section 155F of the Customs Act, 1969.
However, if the terminal operator fulfills the requirements, their registration will be reinstated. The regulatory collectorate will submit a compliance report to FBR every six months.
