KARACHI: The Directorate of Customs Investigation and Intelligence, Karachi has blocked a consignment comprising new Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) of Honeywell Technology brand imported by ‘Lucky Diamond’ as consignment was assessed at nominal value while it attracted high rate of tax.
The customs intelligence took action following credible information regarding the evasion of duty and taxes through mis-declaration in quantity/weight and value on import of items.
However, no major discrepancy was found in the description, quantity and weight but quite surprisingly it was witnessed that the assessment of new brand Honey well PLC was done at very nominal value. The PLC’s which falls in PCT 9032.8990 has UOM in numbers however; it was declared and endorsed in examination report as Kg.
Moreover, the assessment staff also did not make any effort to assess the PLCs at proper value by consulting the 90 days old data value and assessed the same at abysmally low value of $3 per kilogram.
The 90 days old custom data reveals that related items have been assessed in the range of $200 to $500. Officials revealed that Goods Declaration No. KAPF-HC-48882 dated 08-06-2015, where the consigner was Honeywell Technology, the declared value of VLC-16160 Visual Logic Controller (VLC), was $363.46 per piece, while the value of subject item whose part number is 7775B2040 was also obtained through online and the same was found to be $221.65.
Following this disclosure, additional director of Customs Intelligence has reportedly written a letter to other collectorates to adopt strict measures and inquire the assessable value of the subject items on its own from the market and through international/internet sources and reassess the same with a view to saving the exchequer from huge monetary losses and the recovery of the evaded amount on the above stated subject goods be recovered.
The letter also proposed that in order to avoid such flaws in examination and assessment, the UOM may be properly adhered to, during examination and assessment process, particularly in the consignments of old & used machinery.
As there is likelihood that some unscrupulous importers are importing high value items having advanced technology in these consignments.
The letter also stressed the need for special attention to the valuation aspect of these items during the assessment.
