ISLAMABAD: In a game-changing move set to revolutionise the trade and tax landscape, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday unveiled the country’s first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Customs Clearance and Risk Management System (RMS).
In a high-profile meeting chaired by the prime minister to review ongoing Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) reforms, officials revealed the new system leverages AI and automated bots to estimate the cost and nature of goods during imports and exports – a first for Pakistan’s trade sector.
During a briefing to the prime minister, FBR officials claimed that this marks a historic leap, moving Pakistan’s customs operations firmly into the digital age for the first time.
The early tests of the AI-driven RMS have been nothing short of spectacular, the meeting was told, with the system showing a 92 per cent improvement in overall performance, while goods declarations flagged for tax collection increased by 83 per cent.
Even more impressively, they added, clearance through the “green channel” – the fast-track lane for low-risk shipments – has increased by 2.5 times, promising major time savings for traders.
The system’s brain, according to the FBR, comprises cutting-edge machine learning algorithms that continuously evolve by analysing the movement of goods in real time, significantly reducing the need for human intervention and its commonly associated inefficiencies.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Sharif hailed the reform as one of the government’s top priorities to “automate the tax system, making it more transparent and effective.”
He emphasised that the new tech-powered framework will simplify doing business in Pakistan and provide much-needed relief to taxpayers burdened by bureaucracy.
“Less human intervention means less corruption, quicker clearances, and more money in the government’s coffers,” he noted, urging officials to ensure the system is integrated and sustainable for the long term.
Sharif also applauded the FBR team for their efforts in developing the system, stressing that Pakistan must keep pace with global standards to attract investment and bolster economic growth.
The meeting also highlighted a parallel breakthrough – a video analytics-based tool designed to improve tax collection in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector. This technology promises to automate tax assessments transparently and efficiently, removing room for human error or manipulation.
Tested with a reported 98 per cent accuracy rate, the system is poised to significantly boost government revenue and ease compliance for businesses – a major step forward for Pakistan’s fiscal health.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, the FBR chairman Rashid Mehmood Langrial, and other senior officials attended the meeting, collectively pledging full support for these transformative initiatives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
