KARACHI: Under the supervision of Director Irfan Javed Directorate-General of Customs Intelligence & Investigation (I&I) recovered Rs221,715,659/- (Rs221.7 million) on evaded by M/s Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) on import of seamless pipes imported vide GD No. KEWB-HC-2414 dated 5.12.2019.
According to the details, in pursuance of an information of undue claim of exemption under SRO 678(I)/2004, dated 7.8.2004, a consignment declared to contain 4” to 8” seamless pipeline (SCH-80) external three layers polyethylene (NACE) (3LPE) coated imported by M/s Oil & Gas Development Company Ltd, Islamabad (NTN-0787223) vide GD No. KEWB-HC-2414 dated 5.12.2019, was detained after being assigned to gate out at Collectorate of Customs East, Karachi.
As per GD, M/s OGDC imported seamless pipeline from China and got cleared under HS code 7304.1900 claiming exemption under serial no. 1 of SRO-678(I)/2004. The GD was assessed and cleared by the Collectorate under claimed exemption on customs duty @5% and ACD @4% total amounting to Rs71,778,451/- against total assessed value of Rs797,538,341/-.
Scrutiny of the GD revealed that the exemption was wrongly claimed as it is not admissible on the goods being locally manufactured. The representatives from M/s OGDC when confronted with the CGO 2/2017 dated 19th April, 2017 admitted the position vide letter no. PPK.7142.56/2019 dated 10.12.2019 and submitted pay orders 07023005, 07023006, 07023007 drawn on National Bank of Pakistan, Club Road, Branch Karachi amounting to Rs221,715,659/- against the different duty/taxes. Thus, it is established that M/s OGDC had wrongly claimed exemption under serial No. 1 of SRO-678(I)/2004, dated 7.8.2004 which resulted into loss of government revenue to the tune of Rs221,715,659/- (CD: Rs39,876,917/-, ST: Rs154,562,930/- and AST: Rs27,275,811/-).
The pay orders amounting to Rs221,715,659/- (221.7 million) submitted by the Importer were sent to the clearance Collectorate for deposit in the government treasury after reassessment of the GD under intimation to Directorate-General of Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) so that consignment may be de-blocked. The amount have duly been deposited in government treasury. Role of customs officers is being ascertained in the matter.
The extra-ordinary efforts of Deputy Director Adnan Rafiq in detection of evasion in the instant case as well as his indefatigable efforts in other cases have dully been appreciated. He has added considerable value to the performance of the Directorate-General of Customs Intelligence and Investigations Karachi.
