Customs Department should join hands with traders to enhance economic activities: Abdul Basit
LAHORE: Doors of Chief Collector of Customs office are always open for the resolution businessmen’s issues. Businessmen would be facilitated to every possible extent to enhance increase economic activities and revenue thereby.
These views were expressed by Chief Collector of Customs Zeba Hai Azhar while addressing businessmen at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry here the other day.
LCCI President Abdul Basit, Senior Vice President Amjad Ali Jawa and Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan also spoke on the occasion.
LCCI President Abdul Basit while informing the chief collector of customs various issues pertaining to valuation, smuggling, import, export and clearance of goods at the ports under the limits of Central Region said that business community should be provided business friendly atmosphere as they are doing business in difficult conditions. Custom Department should join hands with business community to grow trade and economic activities.
He said that undue delay in release of the consignments cause huge financial loss to the importers as they have to bear demurrage and other expenses. “Scanners should be installed at all ports to avert undue delay, custom duty should be reduced, all National Bank branches should collect customs duty avoid congestion and loss of precious time of businessmen.
The LCCI President said that though WeBOC system is a good step but still a lot of improvement is required and there are limited options to correct errors once information is entered. He said that DG Valuation should hold meetings in Lahore to listen the point of view of local business community regarding customs valuation.
The LCCI Senior Vice President Amjad Ali Jawa and Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan said that business community is facing issues in connection with Form-I. They said that banks are not issuing Form-I for Iran due to lack of banking system between the two countries. They said that post audit recovery notices are being served to the importers.
They said that FBR should bring down duties and taxes on smuggling-prone items to get rid of the menace of smuggling.
Zeba Hai Azhar replying to various questions raised by the business community said that a Joint Advisory Committee would be set to address the grievance of the businessmen and the meeting will be held periodically.’
“We are always there to facilitate businessmen as its our first and foremost duty. We aims at clearing goods in 24 hour but we expect at least 48 hour should be given to the department for the clearance of goods and articles,” she said.
“I would suggest FBR chairman to manage NBP all branches to collect duty, she said adding that Post Clearance Audit should be welcomed to further sort out discrepancies on the both ends.
She said that ASO is never allowed to stop customs cleared containers, however trucks, would be checked besides if we get specific information about smuggling due procedure will be followed to raid godowns.
She urged the business community to keep their clearance documents with them during the transportation as the department has to check trucks coming from Peshawar and other places to arrest the issue of the menace of smuggling.
Answering to the question of the businessmen, she said that the issues of valuation of goods would be communicated to the concerned authorities to resolve valuation issues.
She said that Railways is the custodian of goods and the issue of the theft of goods is their responsibility, however, she will take up the issue with the Pakistan Railways concerned authorities.
Doors of the office of chief collector of customs are always open for the resolution of the business community of Lahore Faisalabad and Multan, she said.
Collector of Customs Intelligence and Investigations Zulfikar Ali Ch, ASO Deputy Moazzam Raza, Deputy Collector Abbas Al Babar, Collector Malik Tahir Javed, Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Aftab Ahmed Vohra, Shafqat Saeed Piracha, Kashif Anwar, Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry, Moazzam Rasheed, Ch. Muhammad Nawaz, Talha Tayyab Butt, Mian Abdul Razzaq, Zahid Maqsood Butt, Syed Mukhtar Ali, Ch. Muhammad Arshad and other members were also present on the occasion.
