LAHORE: Model Customs Collectorate (Preventive), Lahore, for the first time in the history of Pakistan Customs, is organizing a poster competition for young and old artists with the objective to create awareness among the general public about the role of Customs Department.

It is also meant to encourage our young and budding artists in their artistic pursuits by providing them a healthy competition. In order to make the competition more attractive and to get good quality of posters cash prize of Rupees 200,000/ will be given to the best poster while second prize of Rs100,000/- will be given to second best poster and third prize will be of Rs50,000/-. Special merit certificates will also be given to selected posters, said an announcement here on Thursday.

The theme of the competition is ‘Role of Customs in Development of Pakistan’. Customs Department plays significant role in trade facilitation, protection of society, effective border management and revenue collection. The posters are expected to delve on one of these broad themes. On more detailed level Customs Department has a pivotal role in combating smuggling and effective enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights regulations. Similarly ensuring quality and standard of import and export products is yet another important function performed by Customs Department. It is also actively facilitating supply and value chain systems of trade and industry by providing swift and hassle free clearance of imports and export cargo.

In order to further facilitate selected critical industries Customs Department also allows on-site clearances. Customs Department boasts one of the state of the art and most modern automated Customs clearance system in the region, which is called Web Based One Customs (WeBOC). This online goods clearance system not only helps to facilitate the trade but also helps FBR in collection of sizeable revenue in the shape of Customs Duties, Sales Tax, Income Tax, and other import levies. So much so that during the last financial year Customs Department contributed 41% of the total revenue collected by FBR, which was in excess of Rs3000 billion (three trillion).

Students of Fine Arts and artists across the country have been invited to participate in the event. The poster size has been defined and the medium could be manual or digital. It is expected that the artists will highlight the above important roles of Customs Department through their canvas and Customs Department will get some of the very high quality posters which will be used by FBR for subsequent tax awareness campaigns.

A high powered jury, comprising of prominent personalities from the field of fine arts in Pakistan including Madam Saleema Hashmi, Prof M. H. Jeffery (NCA) and Madam Rahat Naveed (Punjab University) shall select the winners, who will be awarded prizes on International Customs Day to be held on 26th January, 2017 in Lahore.

The activity has been organized in collaboration with National College of Arts.

The Model Customs Collectorate (Preventive), Lahore has extended invitation to all the artists to take part in the event by sending their posters on the aforementioned theme up to 31st December 2016 to DC Customs Headquarters, MCC Preventive, Custom House, Nabha Road Lahore, said the sources of the Model Customs Collectorate.—PR