KARACHI: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Chief Collector Saifuddin Junejo has said that Customs Enforcement showed outstanding performance during Covid-19 pandemic and provided services to business community round the clock. He said that Customs Enforcement collected customs duty to the tune of Rs636,897 million (gross)/Rs624.656 million (net) in 2019-2020 which was 99 percent of the target assigned.
Addressing a press conference along with Chief Collector South Surriya Ahmad Butt , he said that customs duty amounting to Rs92 billion has been collected in July-August, 2020 against target of Rs87 billion and collection for July-15th September, 2020 amounts to Rs122 billion which is 0.77 less than the last year.
He said total collection of all taxes at import stage amounted to Rs1,710,468 million in FY 2019-20 which was 0.3 per cent less than the last year. Total collection of all taxes in July-August 2020 amounts to Rs253 billion which is 0.8pc more than the last year.
Total collection of all taxes in July-15th September, 2020 amounts to Rs347 billion which is 1.39 percent more than the last year. Total imports decreased by 20 percent in FY2019-20, from $55,165 million in 2018-19 to $44,279 million in 2019-20. Total imports from July-15 September, 2020 increased by 0.7 percent from $9 billion in 2019 to $9.07 billion in 2020.
He said that in July-August Customs formationof South have collected customs duty amounting to Rs76.385 million against target of Rs74,037 million and against collection f Rs83,697 million in 2019.
Total national exports amounted to $21,276 million in 2019-20 which was 7.76 percent less than the previous year. In July-August 2020, exports from South amounted to $3171 million against exports of $3438 million in 2019.
He said that uninterrupted round the clock provision of customs related services during the pandemic related lock down despite the seriousness of the issue as more than 168 officers /staff tested positive.
Unprecedented sanction and automatic disbursement f duty drawback claims of exporters amounting to Rs20 billion during Covid-19 emergency to help exporters to maintain and avoid lay offs.
In order to fight the Covid-19, impor duties were exempted on 61 items vide SRO 235 (I)/2020 dated 20.3,2020, Imports of personal protection equipment including masks, gowns, medical devides, medicines, disinfectants as well as food and other essential items were cleared 24×7 basis, he concluded as saying.
