MULTAN: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should bring reforms in the field operations of Custom Intelligence and Investigation for the betterment of department and protection of legal importers in the country. Customs Intelligence and Investigation field staff is continuously violating customs laws by checking legally cleared shipments from dry port and they are insulting genuine importers by alleging their import goods as smuggled one.
This was stated by General Secretary Multan Tax Bar Association (MTBA) Imran Ghazi in his exclusive interview with Customs Today. He said that Customs Intelligence and Investigation department was formed with a purpose to eradicate smuggling from country and for promotion of legitimate business because smuggling was causing huge losses to national exchequer. Customs Intelligence and Investigation is working beyond its powers by disturbing genuine importers through illegal actions and we receive frequent complaints from importers about their violations that they stop the lawfully cleared import consignments from ports after proper examination and payment of duty taxes.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation has no power to make scrutiny of lawfully imported goods cleared from ports but they check imported consignments at every check post and road to harass importers for the sake of bribery.
Ghazi said Customs Intelligence and Investigation detain and seize legally cleared consignments by misusing their powers and frame charges that importer cleared shipments through mis-declaration and by using wrong PCT head.
Importers face malpractice from Customs Intelligence and Investigation for transporting their legal import shipments to their desired destination and every consignment faces routine checking from Karachi to Punjab.
He expressed that due to non-professional behavior and corruption of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, clearance of import shipments from Multan Dry Port has almost been diminished.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation used to do valuation and assessment of import consignments illegally to frame mis-declaration cases as they have no experience of appraisement.
Ghazi said that Customs Intelligence and Investigation has no powers under section 25 and 32 of Customs ACT, 1969 to re-examine import consignments because they have no appraisement officer in their field staff.
Most of the time Customs Intelligence and Investigation de-stuffs the import containers and after illegal examination, import goods are not packed and sometimes import goods are damaged in the process of examination.
We need to aware importers about customs laws through mass media campaign that Customs Intelligence and Investigation has no power to examine the legally cleared import consignment at different check points to get rid of these corrupt officials.
Imran Ghazi informed that Customs Intelligence and Investigation is violating Customs laws badly through their malpractice and they are doing contempt of court openly through appraisement of imported goods .He appealed from High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan that they should take suo moto notice against them on their illegal actions against importers to protect legal trade in the country .
Small importers are main victim of Customs Intelligence and Investigation malpractice and their high-ups should take disciplinary action against dishonest field staff to protect them. The Federal Board of Revenue should introduce digital monitoring system for the examination of import consignments instead of Customs Intelligence corrupt staff and seizure report challan should be made online to eliminate their inefficiency. Seizure report challan should be made centralize to highlight negligence of Customs Intelligence field staff.
The Federal Board of Revenue should probe and take strict action of Sukkar incident where notorious Inspector of DIT Liaqat Ali stopped the legally cleared shipment for examination and framed mis-declaration case by seizing vehicle and goods after refusal of kickback from legal importer. These incidents are defaming Customs Intelligence and Investigation along with Federal Board of Revenue.
Customs should ensure safe clearance of import consignments for promotion of legal trade in the country and strict action must be taken against black-sheep of Customs Intelligence and Investigation to make department corruption free.
Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha and Member Customs Zahid Khokhar should form redressal committee for the importer to address their issues regarding blackmailing of Customs Intelligence and Investigation.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation should launch online complaint management system and rapid action should be taken against corrupt customs officials after receiving any complaints to resolve issues of genuine importers.
