ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has proposed an allocation of over Rs10 billion in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2026-27 to fast-track the construction of a customs complex at the Pakistan-China border in Sost, Gilgit-Baltistan, and establish digital customs enforcement stations at strategic locations across Balochistan.
According to an official document available with WealthPk, the Sost customs complex will include sepoy barracks, an e-facilitation centre, transit accommodation, and a customs forensic laboratory. Digital enforcement stations will be built along the Indus and Hub Rivers and other sensitive border routes in Balochistan to combat smuggling through technology-driven surveillance.
The total approved project cost stands at Rs17.48 billion. However, actual expenditure recorded up to June 2025 was only Rs681.244 million — a sign of significant implementation delays. The Planning Commission had authorised over Rs5.93 billion for FY2025-26, but only Rs184.617 million was spent as of January 15, 2026.
A key reason for slow progress is that Rs5.4 billion, already approved by the federal cabinet, has not yet been released by the Finance Division. The throw-forward liability of over Rs10.85 billion is now being proposed for PSDP 2026-27 to keep the project on track and meet Apex Committee deadlines.
FBR has described the initiative as being of “immense national significance,” particularly for curbing illicit trade and securing transit corridors in sensitive border regions. Once operational, the digital enforcement stations are expected to modernise monitoring along major smuggling routes and significantly strengthen Pakistan’s customs regime.
If the allocation is approved and funds released on time, the project will mark a major step in FBR’s broader transformation plan to boost revenue collection through enforcement technology.