LAHORE: The office of chief collector of customs has been playing a pivotal role in enhancing revenue collection by supervising and monitoring the performance of the collectorates in its limits besides advising them to take appropriate measures to improve their working. The customs central region is vigorously operating in the direction to positively achieve its goals and targets.
These views were expressed by Chief Collector of Customs Samaira Nazir Khan while talking to Customs Today. The soft spoken Samaira Nazir Khan, who has been holding various important slots in the department, is known as one of the dynamic, upright and competent officers in the Customs Department. Her competence can be further judged by the fact that she qualified her CCS examination after getting simple graduation and she qualified her LLB in 2011.
She said that the customs central region, which consists of four collectorate including Lahore Preventive, Lahore Appraisement, Customs Multan and Customs Faisalabad, has recovered millions of rupees, enabling the region to meet its target of financial year 2015-16.
The chief collector informed that the revenue collections are being monitored on daily basis while periodical meetings are being held with the collectors in the Customs Houses to meet the revenue collection.
“I have been lucky to have the capable and skilled team of collectors,” Samaira said, adding that she has instructed all the collectors to set up special audits units of DTRE and WeBOC clearance and in the result of the practice revenue of millions of rupees has been collected while auctions of gold, currency and other valuables are also being held aggressively to enhance revenue collection.
She shared that revenue collection from Faisalabad and Multan collectorates has significantly dropped due to falling petroleum prices and extra measure taken by the central region will surely help bridge the revenue deficit gap.
In an answer to a question on Pakistan India trade facilitation measures, she said she held a meeting with DG Plant and Protection Department on quarantine related issues and DG valuation in Karachi to remove barriers and hindrances in the way of smooth clearance and valuation of fruits and vegetable through Wagah boarder.
Due to the far reaching measures and monitoring, a positive increase of 4 percent in almost all taxes, including FED, sales tax, WHT, has been witnessed.
To a question, Samaira Nazir said that she took up the issue of security with the railways authorities in order to avoid any chance of drug smuggling between Pakistan and India.
As a result of the far reaching and proactive measures, the central region is positively advancing to achieve its goals, she said.
