ISLAMABAD: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) showed satisfaction on working environment of Pakistan Customs but asked to improve enforcement on airports as well as other jurisdictions.
Talking with Customs Today, Additional Collector Nisar Ahmad Phularwal said that Pakistan Customs with assistance of PTA flourished new strategy to establish mobile phone registration desks at airports to curb smuggling of non-customs paid mobile phone.
He said that a delegation of FATF, which visited Pakistan last month, showed satisfaction on working of Pakistan Customs whereas they advised to improve the Customs enforcement.
Answering to another query he said, “We have finalized a strategy regarding anti-smuggling of mobile phones through airports.” Highlighting the issue, he said that actual issue is that there are some certain ways to bring mobile phones into the country from abroad. He said that first of all mobile phones are brought into the country via commercial import where Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) has authorized importers to bring their consignments after filing GDs, secondly passengers can bring mobile phone with them when traveling to the country.
He said, “After long discussions and meetings with PTA authorities, we have reached the conclusion to form mobile phone registrations desks at arrival of the national airports of the country, telling the details of procedure which will be adopted to get the duty and taxes by passengers bringing mobile phones in accompanied baggage while they travel to the country. He added that stander operation procedure (SOPs) soon will be signed with all the national and international airlines to follow the procedure purposed by Pakistan Customs and PTA.
Nisar said that passengers traveling to Pakistan will be given a performa by the staff of airline to seek details of mobile phones. He added that after landing at Pakistan, the passenger will be bound to stamp mobile duty performa on mobile phone registration desk run by Customs staff on arrival lounge.
Nisar stated that copy of said scanned performa will be sent to PTA via online after paying duty taxes as per tariff at Customs House, and after getting scanned copy of performa, the PTA will allow Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) to the mobile holder and the mobile phone will become operational getting legal status. He said that no foreign-origin mobile phones will work without getting NOC by PTA.
