LAHORE: Importers have urged the Pakistan Customs and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to call off implementation of Electronic Import Form (EIF) through WeBOC till December 2016 and put into practice the system from January 1, 2017.
Exclusively talking to Customs Today, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice President Nasir Saeed and chemical and hardware importers Khawaja Khawar and Zeshan Khalil said that although the newly introduced EIF is a radical innovation, offhand implementation of the system will badly hurt business activities in the country.
They feared that if the system of EIF form is implemented without the proper training of the stake holders it will create mess putting them to face hardships in getting importing raw-material and other imported stuffs.
They added that if the system is implemented without proper turning of both the bankers and importers they would not be able to properly operate the system and bank would not make payments to the exporters in foreign countries.
They added that, according to the rules, the Goods Declaration (GD) for import of goods cannot be filed with Pakistan Customs unless the approved EIF has been attached with respective GD and in such case importing important raw-material and other tradable items from abroad will become difficult task.
They added that if the government really interested in facilitating the importers it should call off the programme till the December and implement it from January 2017.
Nasir Saeed said that Pakistan Customs and SBP has conducted a few seminars and awareness workshop for the launch of the system but they are insufficient and in order to make the EIF through WeBOC a success story extensive awareness campaign should be launched for the next three months and then finally the system may be brought in to practice.
