KARACHI: To assess duty accurately, the Customs Valuation Directorate General, under Section 25-A of the Customs Act, 1969, has fixed new customs value between $0.85 and $1.10 per kg on import of betel nuts from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
The step has been taken on the request of Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Appraisement (East) to determine fair value of duty on betel nuts import from different countries. The exercise was determined following methods under Section 25 of the Customs Act, 1969 besides stakeholders were associated in the valuation process including Pakistan Kiryana Merchants Association, KCCI and FPCCI and Independent market enquiry’ was also conducted. Consequently, a deductive value method under Sub-Section (7) of Section 25 of the Customs Act, 1969 read with Sub-Section (9) ibid was applied to arrive at the assessable customs value.
A meeting was held with the stakeholders including Pakistan Kiryana Merchants Association and representatives of FPCCI to discuss the valuation of betel nuts. In cases where declared/transaction values are higher than the customs value determined in the ruling, the assessing officer shall apply those values in terms of sub-section (1) of Section 25 of the Customs Act, 1969. In case of consignments imported by air, the assessing officer shall take into account the differential between air freight and sea freight while applying the Customs value determined in the ruling.
The values determined vide the ruling shall be the applicable Customs value for assessment of subject imported goods until and unless it is rescinded or revised by the competent authority in terms of Sub-Sections (1) or (3) of Section 25 A of the Customs Act, 1969.
A review petition may be filed against the ruling, as provided under Section 25-D of the Customs Act, 1969, within 30 days from the date of issue, before the director General, Directorate General of Customs Valuation Karachi. The Collectors of Customs may ensure that the values given in the ruling are applied by the concerned staff without fail, the ruling added.
