Decides 241 cases worth Rs 103 m during 2015-16
LAHORE: Despite colossal challenges and a few working hands, Collectorate of Customs Appeal Lahore has disposed of 241 appeals involving Rs 103 million revenue during the financial year 2015-16. The collectorate decided 184 cases involving Rs 82.57 million in favour of Customs department while 57 involving Rs20.56 million were decided in favour of private parties.
These views were expressed by Collector of Customs Appeal Dr Asif Mehmood Jah while talking to Customs Today here at his office at the Customs House.
He said that the collectorate of Appeal has jurisdiction over collectorate of customs Lahore, collectorate of Customs Multan, collectorate of Customs Faisalabad and collectorate of customs Sambrial, Sialkot and has the authortity to look after and decide all the matters and disputes related to the cities.
He added that the parties and department normally come to his office for the redressal of matters pertaining to smuggling, under and over valuation, mis-declaration and other such issues. He said that cases are decided after listening the parties careful to their utmost satisfaction.
The collectorate was filed apples from department and private parties from within the limits of the collectorate and decided the appeals under section 193 of Customs Act , 1969 within the stipulated time without any delays instead many of the were decided even before the time, he said. Jah said he believed in speedy justice on merit basis and thus every case was decided on merit without any discrimination.
He said that private parties were given their due relief as 57 cases were decided in favour of private parties dismantling the impression that the collectorate belongs to Customs department and will favour the department.
He said that the collectorate was carrying forward 50 cases from the financial year 2014-15 involving 23.74 million revenue and 220 case involving revenue worth Rs 90.80 million were filed with the collectorate.
The collectoarte was having 270 appeals worth Rs 114.54 million during the financial year 2015-16 and 29 cases worth Rs 11.41 have been carried forward from the last financial year, he underscored.
The collectorate has just seven people as work force including collector, one deputy superintendent, one assistant private secretary, a driver, one naib qasid, the collector explained the working strengths.
In answer to a question, Jah stated that taxpayers were facilitated to their entire satisfaction and were urged to file their appeals with the collectoarte by themselves that proved a great relief for the parties who were not in position even to hire their lawyer to contest cases. To a query, he said that all most all the decision was upheld by the Appellant Tribunals.
He informed that the collectoarte was filed appeals in major issues including smuggling of goods, non-customs paid vehicles, assessment disputes, classification disputes, mis-declaration, valuation import, export, violation of baggage rules and misuse of SROs.
The collector when asked about the work strategy for the financial year 2016-17, he said that collectoarte is determined to dispose of cases speedily within or before the time with efficiency and improved performance in mind, minimizing any chance of corruption.
