FAISALABAD: The Customs department is making serious efforts to reactivate Faisalabad Dry Port in order to extend maximum facilities to the importers and exporters of this region, said Zeba Hayae Azhar Chief Collector Customs Lahore.
Addressing the members of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), she told that duty free import was allowed for the manufacturing of exportable surplus.
However, a separate department was created to discourage the abuse of this facility. She told that its office has been created in Lahore to deal with problems confronted by the importers and exporters of Lahore region.
She told that Analysis Certificate is issued by OIC to determine the duty free import viz-a-viz production by it. “However there is no need to get this certificate repeatedly unless there is change in machinery or technology etc”, she said and assured to send her recommendations in this regard within next couple of days to FBR.
Regarding double taxation of infrastructure cess, she welcomed the proposal to receive one percent infrastructure cess once by the federal government but added the this issue falls within the purview of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) and she will request FBR to raise this issue at the appropriate forum. She denied any discrimination with any port and told that uniform rules and valuation is being adopted at all ports.
She asked the importers to inform her in case of any inordinate delay in the clearance of imports consignments and assured to resolve their genuine complaints in case of used and old machinery immediately. She also assured maximum possible concessions of scrap as admissible under the rules. However, she hoped that there should not be any harassment among the importers as they will be treated equally and fairly.
Regarding delay in the issuance of certificate by IOC, she suggested that its camp office could be established in Faisalabad to issue certificates there and then. “We could also use the laboratory of National Textile University instead of sending samples to Lahore or any other city”, she added. Mrs. Hayae also assured to overcome shortage of staff at Faisalabad dry port and airport.
Collector Customs Faisalabad Muhammad Sadiq also addressed the members and said that he is already providing maximum facilities to the local importers and exporters within the given mandate.
Earlier, presenting address of welcome Engineer Mohammad Saeed Sheikh President FCCI told that Faisalabad dry port was established in 1994 for the facilitation of local importer and exporters but it failed to yield the required results due to trust deficit. He also complained step motherly treatment of customs officials with local importers and exporters and said that this situation has forced them to switch over to other dry ports. He requested chief collector to identify the reasons and try to remove these in order to activate this dry port.
