MULTAN: Additional Collector Customs Adjudication has directed Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) for accurate assessment in customs seizure cases at the time of formation of any seizure report for trial.
According to details, Additional Collector Customs Adjudication Talib Hussain found that Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan along with Anti-Smuggling Organization have left flaws in the formation of seizure reports during trial. Customs Intelligence and Investigation and Anti-Smuggling Organization is bound to make seizure cases under Section 25 of the Customs Act 1969 of appraising staff of Customs
The adjudicating authority is exercising the power of adjudication any seizure within pecuniary limit. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has empowered the customs officers to adjudicate cases as per their rank and amount of duties and taxes involved against seized or confiscated goods.
According to Section 179 of Customs Act, 1969 the customs authorities have power of adjudication in cases involving confiscation of goods or recovery of duty and other taxes not levied, short levied or erroneously refunded, imposition of penalty or any other contravention under the act or the rules made there under.
The jurisdiction and powers of the officers of customs in terms of amount of duties and other taxes involved are as , Collector have no limit; additional collector not exceeding three million rupees; deputy collector not exceeding one million rupees; assistant collector not exceeding five hundred thousand rupees; superintendent not exceeding fifty thousand rupees; principal appraiser not exceeding fifty thousand rupees.
Additional collector has also observed that the value, duty and taxes involved in presented seizure cases were reported by seizing officer himself without any assessment by the appraisement staff in Customs Dry Port Multan.
Additional collector found remarkable difference in the duty and taxes reported by detecting agency in various seizure cases during their trial. It is also important to mention that Additional Collector Talib Hussain has also observed in the trial of seizure cases that value of same vehicles and goods seized by detecting agency in different seizure cases changed.
Additional Collector Customs Adjudication Talib Hussain has directed detecting agency especially Customs Intelligence and Investigation that all seizure cases should be framed after proper assessment of appraisement staff at Multan Customs Dry Port in respect of duty and taxes involved in seizure for future. Accurate Assessment will also assist customs adjudication in trial of any seizure case after its exact assessment. Due to wrong Assessment of Customs Intelligence and Investigation staff, seizure cases are not fixed in the exact form of Customs Adjudication.
Customs Adjudication send any seizure case which involves duty taxes up to one million to deputy collector, seizure cases which involves more than one million and less than three million duty taxes forwarded to Additional Collector and more than three million duty taxes seizure cases send to Collector for Adjudication.
The correct assessment will also determine that seizure case will be sent to Deputy Collector, Additional Collector and Collector Customs Adjudication.
