LAHORE: Doors of Member Customs’ office are open round the clock for resolution of business community’s issues besides every possible step will be taken to facilitate importers and exporters who are back bone of the economy.
These views were expressed by Federal Board of Revenue Member Customs Muhammad Zahid Khaokhar while addressing a gathering of businessmen from various walks of life at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Saturday.
The FBR Member Customs answered various questions asked by the importers and exporters especially on refund and rebate, delays in consignments’ clearance at the Karachi International Containers Terminal (KICT), insufficient National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) branches for depositing duty and taxes, bottlenecks in WeBOC systems, harassment by Customs Intelligence and Investigations teams on the parties from Thokar Niaz Baig to Brandreth Road despite the fact that each and every document of legal import is provided to the customs authorities and excessive and unjustified valuation of goods.
While talking about delays in clearance of consignment at Karachi International Containers Terminal, he said that the delays were mainly due to the too much congestion at the port however, the customs department has taken notice of situation and is doing all out efforts to clear consignment at the local port, .
Pakistan Railways can play vital part in making the local ports functional by ensuring regular arrival and departure of locomotives thereby enabling the consignments clearance at the earliest, he stated.
“Role of Pakistan Railways is important in reducing burden at the Karachi Port, he said, answering a question that duty on raw-material is already at the lowest ebb which cannot be further reduced, however, if there is any discrepancy we are there to look into matter in the best national interests.
In answer to a question about capacity building of importers and exporters, he pledged to hold training and workshops for the importers and exporters to build up their capacity.
LCCI Senior Vice President Amjad Ali Jawa, Vice President Nasir Hameed, Khawaja Khawar Rasheed, Zeshan Khalil Rehan Sadique and others also spoke on the occasion.
