Fbr'S Digital Enforcement Stations To Combat Smuggling In Balochistan

In a significant development, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has highlighted that smuggling is inflicting an estimated loss of Rs750 billion on Pakistan's formal economy. To combat this, the FBR plans to recover Rs250 billion through the establishment of Digital Enforcement Stations, as discussed in a recent meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance. Shakeel Shah, FBR Member Customs (Operations), noted that anti-smuggling operations in Balochistan alone generated an additional Rs188 billion from the petroleum sector. He emphasized that traditional enforcement methods have been inadequate due to security and geographic challenges, stating, "Conventional enforcement methods have delivered limited results due to security concerns, geographic challenges and resource constraints." The FBR has been allocated Rs49.22 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme for the upcoming fiscal year, with plans to deploy 25 digital customs stations and upgrade 10 strategic checkpoints in Balochistan to enhance monitoring and tracking of goods.