PESHAWAR - Assistant Collector Exports at Torkham Station Saiqa Abbas said on Sunday that with the support of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Custom station at Torkham will be further upgraded in terms of facilities and modern gadgets in order to foil smuggling related activities.

Talking to The Nation, she said that Torkham’s custom station had been assigned the target of collecting Rs4805.60 million in the financial year 2016-17, whereas already Rs6888.670 million had been collected this fiscal year.

She said that due to recent clashes at the border, the revenue collection had greatly suffered.

She informed that soon all the facilities, including a large sized scanner, for checking the containers and warehouses would be introduced with the help of the upcoming project of ADB.

When asked about the steps being taken for tackling corruption at Torkham, she said that a close circuit television camera had been installed, while for verification of the data and political administration’s record, surprise visits were paid and random examination of consignments was conducted apart from other steps.

Regarding estimated revenue being collected on daily basis, Saiqa said that five to six million rupees were collected at the station on a daily basis.

Regarding the existing facilities available at the station, the assistant collector told this scribe that the launch of WeBoc, CCTV cameras, baggage scanners and separate passages for the incoming and outgoing passengers were there for the facilitation of people.

When asked as to how the whole container was scanned at the station, she replied there was no large sized scanner at the station. “However, the facility of scanning the whole container is available at NLC Jamrud, and soon this facility would also be available at Torkham station courtesy the upcoming project of ADB.

Custom Station at Torkham is an integral part of Afghan transit trade, where huge amount of revenue is generated. The station direly needs extraordinary facilities to thwart supply of suspected materials used in subversive activities in FATA and the settled areas.

“The station has already achieved its annual revenue target, and on a daily basis it collects approximately Rs5 to 6 million for the national exchequer,” she said, and added, “In the financial year, 2015-16, Customs had collected Rs6888.670 million against the given target of Rs4805.60 million.