FAISALABAD: The purpose of the highly-esteemed department of customs is to facilitate the business community and save the economy of the country by curbing menace of smuggling. The government established different institutions and departments to provide investment-friendly environment to traders, importers and exporters rather than to create panic for them.
These views were expressed by Aman Taraqi Party Coordinator Sajjad Ahmed Ramana. He said that for import and export sector, Customs has a key position as its main objective is to facilitate the business community besides clearing consignments of traders on priority basis so that they could expend their business which would ultimately bring employment opportunities for youth and increase the tax to GDP ratio.
Ramana said that some black sheep in Customs are not only harming credibility of the department for their vested interests but also causing losses to businessmen. He added that importers are facing problems in clearance of their consignments at many dry ports and seaports due to which they have to divert their clearance to other ports.
He said that some importers made shocking revelations about Collectorate of Appraisement East Collectorate Principal Appraiser Dost Muhammad and his team. Sajjad Ramana said that it is true that majority of importers are facing difficulties in clearance of their consignments due to unnecessary hurdles created by Dost Muhammad.
Similarly, the NAB chairman has asked the FBR chairman to tighten the noose around the corrupt FBR and customs officials. Recently, Customs Appraiser at Peshawar Dry Port Hidayat Ullah has been arrested by the NAB. Importers of Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Islamabad have also written letters to FBR Chairman Tariq Pasha to take notice against the gross misconduct and misuse of authority by some customs officials.
