KARACHI: Customs clearing agents have started using political influence to get fresh licenses.
Sources said that Federal Board of Revenue had imposed a ban on the issuance of new licenses due to reported use of unfair means in the written test held on February 14, 2013 in Karachi. Some clearing agents have now been able to influence Customs authorities through political links to get fresh licenses.
Sources further said that some 750 candidates from across the country had appeared in the written examination out of which 330 candidates were from Karachi. “The results were held after reports surfaced that unfair means were used in the test and Customs authorities were restricted from issuing any license to the candidates,” they added.
Sources said that the authorities concerned, despite the ban on the issuance of new licenses, had started conducting interviews to process license applications. Moreover, similar violation of FBR directives had earlier been reported in Quetta, Chaman and Lahore Collectorates, but the process of issuing new licenses in the said Collectorates was stopped after FBR intervention.
