KARACHI: Federal Board of Revenue through a Customs General Order (CGO) No.01 of 2014 issued on April 28 has given consent in order to give effect to the decision of the Ministry of Defence, for the US proposal of multi-modal transit operations through Jinnah International Airport, Karachi for the transportation of 1628 vehicles for Afghan National Security Forces by air.
Federal Board of Revenue has prescribed the following procedure on “one-time basis” under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1969 read with CGO No.10 of 2012 for transit of US/ISAF/NATO cargo to Afghanistan through Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. Through CGO No.01 of 2014, Karachi Port shall be the port of entry and Jinnah International Airport shall be the airport of exit for the cargo, read the CGO.
The CGO further stated that after completion of all customs formalities/procedures, sealing etc, the cargo shall be containerized before being gated-out from the port of entry, the cargo shall be transported on the specified routes notified by the Ministry of Defence, the transit cargo under this CGO shall only be transported by an authorized bonded carrier or transport operator licensed under Chapter XXV of the Customs Rules, 2001.
It stated that the tracking and monitoring of cargo en-route, allowed transit under this CGO, shall be carried out in accordance with tracking and monitoring of Cargo Rules, 2012 notified by FBR vide SRO413(1)/2012 dated 25-04-2012 with the exception of affixing tracking devices on the containers from the port of entry to the airport of exit.
It stated that vehicles carrying transit cargo under this CGO shall not be required to get registered at the designated customs check-posts as provided under CGO 10/2012 dated 31-07-2012.
The CGO 01/2014 elaborated the procedures at the airport of exit (Jinnah International Airport) that the appropriate customs officer (Preventive Officer) at the airport of exit shall physically verify the shipping seals, customs seals to confirm that these seals are intact and no tampering has been done.
The information shall be fed in the system as per procedure prescribed under CGO 4 of 2007, and the same shall also be endorsed on the duplicate and quadruplicate copies of the Goods Declaration (GD).
The CGO 01/2014 further stated the goods shall be weighed and examined, if required, at the airport of exit. The TCN number of the vehicles shall be checked and verified by the Appraising Officer/Examining Officer of the Directorate General of Transit Trade.
The appropriate customs officer at the airport of exit, after fulfilling the formalities, shall retain the quadruplicate copy of the GD for their own record. The duplicate copy shall be endorsed with the mate receipt (MR) number to confirm that the consignment has departed from the country. This copy shall then be sent to the port of entry within seven days of departure.
According to the CGO 01/2014, the US Consulate, Karachi will provide a proof of delivery to customs within 30 days after the cargo is delivered to the consignee. Empty containers may be returned after discharging the cargo at the airport of exit.
It is further stated that all the provisions of CGO 10/2012 dated 31 July, 2012 shall mutatis mutandis, apply to the cargo moving under this CGO.
Director General of Transit Trade Khawar Farid Maneka informed Customs Today that after getting approval from Ministry of Defence, the operations would be started from the month of May, 2014 on “one-time” basis and the entire process of clearance of US/NATO/ISAF cargo would be completed in a month.
To a query, Maneka confirmed that the law enforcing agencies (LEAs) including police, Rangers and others would be responsible for safeguarding the NATO/ISAF cargo from port of entry i.e. Karachi Port to the port of exit, Jinnah International Airport.
Responding to a query, Director General, Directorate of Transit Trade Khawar Farid Maneka said that the the chartered Boeing planes hired by US authorities would take the vehicles of NATO/ISAF to the destination, adding that the services charges would be charged by Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Directorate General of Transit Trade through an internal office order has designated a team headed by Deputy Collector Mumtaz Raza, in order to ensure clearance of US/NATO/ISAF containers by air at Air Freight Unit (AFU). Liaquat Ali (PA), Irfan Baig (Appraiser), Tufail Ahmed (clerk) and Khurram Zaman (clerk) are also part of the team.
