KARACHI: Exporters of the country are facing great hardships at Export Processing Zone due to non-availability of Customs staff. On the other hand, there are credible reports that raw material, which is being imported in the country through duty free channels, is being sold in the local market of Karachi.
Talking to Customs Today, one exporter said, “We have to pursue customs officials one after another for clearance of goods and we are used to of this practice,” adding that delay in clearance process is a routine matter.
One exporter Malik Qayyum, who deals in textile business, told that there are reports that customs staff is not usually found in their proper duty place, so “we are bound to run after them for clearance of our items or we have to wait for hours”. He further said that customs staff usually disturbs businessmen by demanding unnecessary documents. He said that “we complained to higher authorities about this situation but all in vain”. He said duty hours of customs staff starts from 9 a.m. but they did not present on their duty position till 11 a.m. If they happen to arrive earlier they asked disturbing questions for example one staff member ask me that there is correction in Form 2 of documentation.
When this scribe tried to obtain Customs staff point of view they replied that documentation of consignments are very important factor so we have to complete scrutinizing the documents very carefully. Replying to a question regarding late arrival at duty place they said that our staff members always present on their duty place in time if they happen to visit some site and during this time exporters come with documents so they have to wait for some time.
Regarding sale of raw material in Karachi market, Customs staff said that there is lot of difference in local and international raw material. They said that lot of industries are closed in Export Processing Zone, government is failed to cope with energy and water crisis, while political parties stage protest rallies in front of Export Processing Zone so we have to close doors and all these things badly affects the industrial output, we have talked with high-ups of the department many times but all in vain.
