KARACHI: Collector Port Muhammad Bin Qasim Mukarram Jah Ansari has declared the scanning and examination of all imported consignments “mandatory” at Qasim International Containers Terminal (QICT), it is learnt here.
According to details, the Collector Port Muhammad Bin Qasim through a notification has directed all the staff of the Collectorate to ensure full examination and scanning of all the imported consignments at QICT in order to eliminate the practice of mis-declaration and under-invoicing.
In the light of the notification, all imported consignments whether falling under “Green Channel”, “Yellow Channel” or “Red Channel” would be examined and scanned thoroughly.
The sources informed Customs Today that the Collector Mukarram Jah Ansari has taken the step in order to minimize the attempts of tax evasion through mis-declaration and under-invoicing.
The sources further informed this scribe that the Collector Port Muhammad Bin Qasim has also taken the Chairman-FBR and Member-Customs Nasir Masroor Ahmed into confidence before implementing the said step at QICT.
However, the importers and traders’ bodies have expressed their concerns over the said decision of the Collector Mukarram Jah Ansari, saying that the said practice would certainly increase the “cost of doing business”, as it will take time to clear the consignments and also to pay extra charges in terms of “scanning charges” to the terminal operators.
The importers were further of the view that the FBR and customs authorities should exempt the importers of “Green Channel from the said practice, as the importers of “Green Channel has reasonable profile of clearance.
The Collector of Port Muhammad Bin Qasim is determined to save the leakages of government revenue and due to this he has made the examination and scanning of all imported consignments “mandatory”.
