Pakistan’s customs bonded warehouse regime is set to come under significantly greater scrutiny following a directive for an independent third-party audit of three years of warehouse records across the country. The Prime Minister has also ordered physical verification of stocks maintained at customs bonded warehouses, a particularly significant development considering that bonded trade reportedly accounts for around 16.5% of Pakistan’s total imports.
The review is expected to extend well beyond a routine documentary audit. Authorities have been directed to examine physical stock positions, valuation practices, licensing and security requirements, as well as the information technology systems used for monitoring bonded operations. The government has also emphasized strict legal action where irregularities or unlawful activities are identified, indicating that the exercise may involve detailed reconciliation of historical records rather than merely reviewing current compliance.
For businesses operating bonded warehouses or regularly using bonded facilities, this development makes strong record-keeping and internal reconciliation increasingly important. Differences between WeBOC records, bonded stock registers, import documentation, releases and actual physical inventory could attract closer attention during the review. Businesses connected with bonded operations would therefore be well advised to reassess their historical compliance position and ensure that their documentary trail properly supports the movement, storage and clearance of goods.