MULTAN: Multan Customs authorities feel that officials should take stern action against persons found involved in corruption.
On the issue of Appraiser Zubair’s alleged corruption, Deputy Collector Port Qasim Athar Naveed has not taken any action which raises some serious questions about his credibility.
According to sources, the staff of Port Qasim is allegedly involved in corruption and silence of higher authorities is also questionable.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Range office has also highlighted corruption and mismanagement of Port Qasim by seizing a container of automobiles from Multan on March 13, 2015. It seized the container on the basis of differential duty taxes with case no 99/2015. The consignment of auto parts included genuine air filters of assorted models of Honda and Toyota, which were cleared from Port Qasim.
The Multan Customs Intelligence and Investigation seized the consignments and registered cases against the accused.
After seizing the consignment of automobiles, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Range found that the customs duty assessed by Port Qasim staff at the time of clearance of auto parts was Rs 1.120 million through mis-declaration of goods. During the investigations, the Multan Dry Port authorities assessed the customs duty at Rs 3.173 million.
The seized consignment also included body parts of vehicles, including hood, trunks, gutters and panels. The seized consignments were of Japanese, Thai and Chinese origin, and their destination was Lahore.
After the detection of wrong assessment of duty by Port Qasim staff, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan lodged a case against the accused.
President MCCI Mian Iqbal Hussain said that business community of Multan has a large number of complaints against the Port Qasim authorities that the staff demands additional charges for the clearance of their import consignments. He said that the business community is compelled to pay the additional charges for the clearance of their consignments and it might be in the knowledge of the port authorities. Appraiser Zubair’s corruption under the nose of DC Athar Naveed is an open secret, sources said.
Additional Director Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Range Nisar Ahmad stated that he has lodged a case against the accused after finding them guilty in that matter. He said that there is no space for the corruption in the department and if anyone found in any misconduct then he should be punished according to the law.
Deputy Director Post Clearance Audit Talib Hussain said that if he found any one guilty in any sort of fraud then he will made contravention with audit para against them and recommend disciplinary action against the dishonest employee.
Deputy Collector Multan Dry Port Dr. Muhammad Ali Malik told Customs Today that if he received any complaint about any person involved in bribery at the Multan Dry Port, he would investigate the matter and will take stern action against the corrupt person. He told that he has adopted zero tolerance for the corrupt employees at the Multan Dry Port.
