ISLAMABAD: Newly appointed Deputy Collector Islamabad Dry Port (IDP) Tahir Iqbal Khattak has abolished the holiday of Saturday so as to meet the revenue targets assigned for Financial Year 2017-18.
Following the instructions given by Dr. Saeed Khan Jadoon, Collector, Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Islamabad, that IDP is providing facilitation to the business community according to the customs bylaws. The Collector MCC Islamabad has clearly given a message to the IDP and other customs stations that all the customs staff will be appreciated who follow the discipline and a proper conduct of the department but those who will involve in any illegal practice will not be tolerated.
This was stated by newly appointed Tahir Khattak, Deputy Collector Dry Port Islamabad, while giving an exclusive interview to Customs Today.
He said the Islamabad Dry Port has been dumping old spare-parts for the last three months due to new amended laws against half-cut vehicles and spare parts. This amended law was implemented from July 1st Financial Year 2017-18. He further said the Pakistan Railways is also asking the department to clear the port from these dumped goods as soon as possible whereas Deputy Collector told CT that importers of the said half-cut vehicles have taken their case to the Sindh High Court. Now the honourable court will solve this matter soon after which the IDP premises will be cleared from the dumped imported half-cut spare-parts (bumpers).
He further told CT that the newly announced customs values on old and used auto-parts, which are determined under Sub-Section (9) of Section 25 of the Customs Act-1969, will affect the business activity of imports of used and old spare-parts. The government has announced new valuation ruling on about 93 auto-parts, he informed.
He said the IDP will install a computerized weighbridge on the premises of the IDP within next few months which will provide great facility to the business community and earn revenue for the custodian of the IDP (Pakistan Railway).
Deputy Collector assured the importers of trying his level best to clear their consignments so that they can bring their imports to the local market on time. Introducing himself, he told CT that although he is an MBBS doctor and has earned his MBBS degree from Khyber Medical College Peshawar yet he has joined the civil service by choice in 2010.
Tahir Iqbal Khattak said he was appointed as Assistant Collector on Pak-Afghan international border for three years. Later, he went to Gilgit-Baltistan on Sost border as Assistant Collector and served there for two years. He served as Assistant Collector in Preventive Section of the MCC Islamabad for one year and then he worked at Export Section of the Air Freight Unit (AFU) Islamabad for 10 months. And now he is posted at Islamabad Dry Port as Deputy Collector which is a new and a great experience.
