KARACHI: Chief Collector Appraisement South Surriya Ahmed Butt has asked the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Member Customs Operations Jawwad Awais Agha to take up issue of consignments stuck up at ports for not fulfilling condition of Urdu printing on consumer foods products vide SRO 237 (I)/2019 dated 19.2.2019 with commerce ministry.
In a letter addressed to Member Customs, the chief collector stated that the Ministry of Commerce vide SRO 237 (I)/2019 dated 19.2.2019 has introduced a condition of printing the ingredients and details of the food products (e.g. nutritional facts, usage instructions, logo of Halal certificate body etc.) in Urdu and English languages on the consumer packaging. Over 40 such consignments of food products in consumer packaging hit by the aforesaid condition are lying un-cleared at Karachi port and port Qasim.
Further shipments of major importers of food stuff are in the pipeline, including multinationals like Unilever and Nestle Pakistan. Some importers have filed Goods Declaration; even these consignments cannot be released for not fulfilling the IPO conditions.
The importers are agitating that orders for their shipments had already been placed when the amendment Import Policy was notified and that the ministry should allow condonation of the condition of printing in Urdu of ingredients and details of food products on consumer packaging at least for one month.
In view of the genuine hardships of the importers and to ensure due collection of revenue, the Board may like to take up the matter with the Ministry of Commerce for issuing suitable instructions in this regard.
