KARACHI: A large number of containers have been stuck at the Karachi International Containers Terminal (KICT) since Eidul Fitr holidays and the examination of containers is slowed down, it is learnt.
Though, the importers have time and again asked the Pakistan Customs to raise the strength of the examiners, increase parking space for containers and improve the performance of its staff. However, all went in vain as the importers are still facing difficulties. The Pakistan Customs, in order to avoid delay of containers’ clearance during Eid day, had assigned various customs staff to facilitate the importers.
The officers included Javed Hassan, Principal Appraiser, Imran Aslam Gul, Appraising Officer, Abdul Aziz, Zulfikar Zaman, Appraising Officer and Nadeem Ahmed Khan, Principal Appraise Zahid Parvez, Javed Khalid, Appraising Officer, Iqbal Waris, Appraising Officer, Siddiq Zia, Appraising Officer and Shair Khan, Appraising Officer, Ameer Ahmad Samoo, Appraising Officer, Muhammad Khalid, Appraising Officer, Muhammad Ahmed, Appraising Officer and Abdul Kalam, Appraising Officer.
While citing reason behind the slow clearance of the containers at the KICT, the insiders told Customs Today that the Pakistan Customs officers had recently seized a container containing foreign liquor. The importer filed that there were thousands of bottles of mineral water however the name of importer and the clearing agents could not be ascertained as the customs officials are trying to arrest the culprits, sources said.
After the incident, the Model Customs Collectorates Appraisement East and West have strictly instructed the customs officials to thoroughly examine the container and do not let any shortcoming in the examination process, the sources added.
Talking to Customs Today, the importers and clearing agents held untrained at KICT responsible for late examinations.
“The grounding of the containers at examination area is being arbitrarily delayed and importers are compelled to pay Rs 3000 per day as detention charges,” Ashok Kumar, an importer told Customs Today.
The containers used to remain unattended for at least three to four days as no one neither the customs staff nor the KICT bother to examine it, he added.
Another importer, Arshad, says the detention charges and the delaying tactics had increased the cost of doing business however, no heed was paid to demands of the importers.
He said there should be skilled and trained staff at the KICT who knows how to tackle the containers traffic while examination.
Customs Today repeatedly tried to contact Assistant Collector Usman Tariq at the KICT to seek his official version however he remained busy throughout the day.
