ISLAMABAD: The powers of Director General Customs Valuation have been strengthened through amendments made through Finance (Supplementary) Act, 2022.
The powers of Customs Collector to determine customs valuation have been withdrawn through Finance (Supplementary) Act, 2022.
Sources in Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said that through the Finance (Supplementary) Act, 2022 amendment had been made in Section 25A of the Customs Act, 1969.
Prior to the amendment the power to determine the customs value was with the collector of customs and the director of customs valuation.
The collector of customs was given power to determine the valuation through Finance Act, 2021. However, after only six months the legislators had abolished the power of customs collector.
Following the latest amendment the power to determine the customs valuation is now with the Director General of Valuation.
Another important amendment has been made to Section 25D of the Customs Act, 1969 through Finance (Supplementary) Act, 2022. Prior to the amendment, the Section 25D allowed an aggrieved person to file an appeal before the Member Customs (Policy) against the value determine by the Director General Valuation.
Through the Finance (Supplementary) Act, 2022, the proviso in the Section 25D has been omitted so that appeal against the decision of Director General Valuation should not be filed before the Member Customs (Policy) and should be taken up at an appropriate judicial forum to redress the grievances.
The supplementary act further provided that an order passed in revision by the Director General Customs Valuation under section 25D, provided that such appeal shall be heard by a special bench consisting of one technical member and one judicial member.
