PESHAWAR: The Model Customs Collectorate Peshawar has provided additional Inspectors and Sepoys to the Anti-Smuggling Organization Peshawar for enhancement of its performance. The Peshawar Collectorate has been exceeding the assigned revenue collection targets for the last five months of the current Financial Year 2017-18 while it has already posted 15% growth during December Fiscal Year 2017-18.
This was stated by Zakir Muhammand, Deputy Collector Headquarters, Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Peshawar, while giving an exclusive interview to Customs Today.
He added that, under the guidance of Gul Rehman, Collector MCC Peshawar, the collectorate has appointed one Additional Collector, a Solicitor Deputy Collector and an Assistant Collector on Pak-Afghan International Border (Turkham) to make it more equipped to fight smugglers and divert the smuggling trends towards genuine business and enhance the revenue collection.
He told CT that the Collector MCC Peshawar has also appointed one Assistant Collector and one Deputy Collector at the Peshawar Dry Port. Due to appointment of two custom officers at the dry port, the clearance and examination of goods have become up to the mark. He pointed out that vast jurisdiction of KP Customs is being handled by only three ACs and a DC at this time.
After taking above said administrative measures, the Customs Station Torkham and Bacha Khan International Airport customs staff seized a big quantity of foreign origin smuggling gold and currencies during the closest past to FY17-18, he said. He added that the Torkham thwarted five currency smuggling attempts while Customs Air Freight Unit Peshawar did one smuggling bid of currency during July to till update. During FY17-18, the Torkham confiscated 1.9million Saudi Riyals while AFU did 96110 UAE Dirham.
Telling about the details of impounded gold cases during above said period, Deputy Collector told the correspondent that the AFU made three seizures during current FY17-18 which include 26.387 kg and 660 tolas of gold whereas customs staff of Torkham Customs Station took into possession 2.40 kg plus 312.387 grams and 43 tola of smuggling gold during said period.
The abovementioned seizures would create a positive impact on the revenue performance of the Model Customs Collectorate Peshawar during 2nd Quarter.
He notified CT that although collectorate is facing understaffing of Assistant Collectors and Deputy Collectors yet it has provided one Assistant Collector and one Deputy Collector to the Peshawar Dry Port to run the system somewhat smoothly. He further said that there was only one Deputy Collector who was supervising the Peshawar Dry Port which did not meet the required strength of the staff.
Talking about the shortage of Assistant Collectors and Deputy Collectors, he further told CT that, during four to five previous months of FY17-18, the collectorate had 10 ACs and DCs whereas now the collectorate is handling all the vast area of KP with seven ACs and DCs. Other three ACs and DCs have been transferred from MCC Peshawar to other customs collectorates, he pointed out.
Replying to a query, Zakir Muhammad said that, due to stability on Pak-Afghan border (Torkham), the business activities are flourishing there while the anti-smuggling activities are also being checked effectively. Dring current fiscal year, Kohat and Torkham Customs Stations also seized a big quantity of various types of Turkey made ammunition, he concluded.
