ISLAMABAD: Collector Customs Adjudication Dr Akhter Hussain, in a contravention case, has held that M/s Warid Telecom (Private) Limited and M/s Ericsson (Private) Limited avoided the payment of duty and taxes to the tune of Rs 233.65 million on import of software but left the same unclaimed at Islamabad Airport.
He also held that both were liable to penal action for revenue fraud and mis-declaration during the clearance of the software at much lower value from Lahore. He ordered the two companies to pay Rs 233.65 million duty and taxes on the software and a penalty of $18.99 million (three times of the invoice value of the imported software).
In his order in original, Dr Hussain said that Rs 233.65 million has been reported to be payable in duty and taxes on the imported software, which M/s Warid Telecom did not claim in Islamabad.
However, M/s Warid Telecom allegedly imported the same software in Lahore and got it cleared on lower value without bringing it to the notice of the Islamabad Customs. M/s Ericsson (Private) Limited connived with Warid Telecom in importing and clearing the software in Lahore and in defrauding the customs authorities both in Islamabad and Lahore.
