ISLAMABAD: Post Clearance Audit (PCA) Headquarters Director Dr.Kamal Azhar Minhas, taking notice of a letter issued by Customs member against alerts regarding clearance of used construction machinery, has declared it irrelevant to the issue and might be exploited and flouted for ulterior motives.
The director has stated this in a letter to Secretary (Tar-III) Nisar Ahmed, adding that the PCA alerts referred to the Ministry of Commerce office memorandum (OM) and the Customs Appraisement is carelessly relying upon the OM and following it without letter and spirit may result in clearance of prime movers of engine capacity below 380 HP.
The letter further states, “Had MCC Lahore followed MoC’s qualified opinion conveyed vide OM in letter and spirit, not a single used prime mover could have got the benefit under the OM. As such, the need to make a reference to the board before issuing the alert, which did not create any confusion or reservation in implementation of instructions issued by the relevant Ministry and circulated by the Board did not arise”.
The director further said that Lahore Appraisement flouted the OM and cleared used prime movers, which were liable to confiscation, without any shadow of doubt. Goods cleared under nine (09) goods declaration were seized by this detecting agency on June 20 and 21, 2016. An impression was created that there was a dispute regarding engine capacity between two departments of customs and the PCA which stood clarified by the MoC and the board.
He further said that it is almost alarming that board’s letter has been used to get impounded vehicles released from NLC authorities enthusiastically stressing upon them that board has yet again confirmed that the issue stood clarified and the PCA director had created confusion and he did not have jurisdiction to impound the vehicles.
