ISLAMABAD: New amendments in federal budget for Financial Year (FY) 2017-18 are welcoming on the subject of customs laws. Amended section 07 under customs laws would help remove hurdles in curbing smuggling activities.
The said changes or amendments in customs laws FY17-18 are welcoming additions. Some of fruitful changes include amended customs laws FY2017-18 were suggested by Dr. Arslan, Collector Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Islamabad.
It was told by Collector Model Customs Collectorate Dr. Arslan while talking to Customs Today during an exclusive interview that to regulate imports and exports pertaining to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the federal government has constituted a Directorate General of China Pakistan Economic Corridor under the umbrella of Pakistan Customs. He added that the directorate will facilitate the business activities between Pakistan and China in near future.
According to amendment in section 07 of Customs laws amend as all officers of Inland Revenue, Police, Civil Armed Forces, National Highway and Motorway Police and all officers engaged in the collection of land revenue are required to assist officers of customs in the discharge of their functions, he stressed. He further said while praising changes of section 07 of customs law.
He said Customs Department in the past was facing hurdles to perform its required duties under the jurisdictions of Motorway and Highway Department but due to amendments in the said section, now Anti-Smuggling activity will gain more revenues.
Regarding the amendments in section 19 which is based on exemptions on duty taxes, after said changes in the Customs laws, the procedure of exemptions will become simplified. He further said that changes in section 8A empower the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to notify the wearing of uniform for officers and staff of the Customs Service of Pakistan.
The collector said that substitute amendment in Section 33 sub section (4) of Customs Act is also well. He said according to said amendment “no refund shall be allowed if the sanctioning authority is satisfied that the incidence of customs duty and other levies has been passed on to the buyer or consumer”, he added.
He told that a helpful amendment has inserted new section 219A to enable the Customs Department to enhance international cooperation to pursue the money laundering type cases. He added that said section allowed Customs Department to participation in international initiatives/joint operations and greater access to technical Assistance and capacity building activities.
He said that amendment made in section 195 with a view to allow the Board, Collector or Collector (Adjudication) to dispose of a case on its own and further empowering them to assign the case to an officer of equal or higher rank as may have passed the earlier order that amended section 194A will allow filing of an appeal in respect of an order issued under section 195 by the Board or an officer of Customs not below the rank of an Additional Collector.
He shows his full satisfaction on new amendments adding that new amendment in 5th schedule made simply the mechanism of exemptions as to mention the exemption chart clearly, he felt honor that the government accepted the suggested new amendments by MCC Islamabad to make the customs laws more helpful for Customs Department.
