KARACHI: The Directorate General of Internal Audit-Customs has sent “audit paras” to the MCC-Appraisement (East) and MCC-Port Muhammad Bin Qasim and pointed out a short recovery amounting of Rs 20 million altogether in clearance of steel pallets under SRO421/2014, it was learnt here.
The sources informed Customs Today that the Directorate General of Internal Audit-Customs has sent audit paras amounting Rs 15 million short recovery in the clearance of steel pallets during the time frame from July to October to the MCC-Appraisement (East) and sent audit paras pointed out an amount of Rs 5 million short recovery to MCC-Port Muhammad Bin Qasim in the clearance of steel pallets consignments for the same period i.e. July to October.
The sources said that the Directorate of Internal Audit-Customs in its audit paras from July-October observed that the importers had misused the SRO 421 of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 in the clearance of steel pallets. “The sales tax value for the clearance of steel pallets consignments at US550 per Kg; however; the Directorate of Internal Audit has observed that those consignments of steel pallets have been cleared at the sales tax rate of US$ 485 per Kg, so that the Directorate has seen audit paras of the differential amount to the MCC-Appraisement (East) and MCC-Port Muhammad Bin Qasim”, they added.
The sources further disclosed that the officials of MCC-Appraisement (East) and MCC-Port Muhammad Bin Qasim had also calculated the GST at the rate of 16 per cent in the clearance of the steel pallets consignments during the period of July to October-2014. The sources hoped that the Collectorates will take up the matter seriously and issue demand notices to the importers for recovering the shortfall amount i.e. Rs 20 million altogether.
