KARACHI: The Chief Collector (South) has been urged to extend deadline for the implementation of mandatory Electronic import form (EIF) filing for at least three months.
The EIF is required for the importers to electronically file the import details. The system was launched as per the schedule from September 1. A joint effort of Pakistan Customs and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the EIF is to monitor the import payment and prevent under-invoicing.
The Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA), in a letter to the chief collector (South), said that the EIF will help curbing malpractice and illegal transactions.
The letter said that the implementation of EIF will facilitate the government getting the transaction values of actual taxpayers, who are associated with the system as investor will voluntarily be enrolled into the tax regime. “However, the implementation of the system in a short period of time creating hassles for consignment clearance,” it added.