SIALKOT: Major (r) Mansoor Ahmed, the president of the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) lauded the performance of Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) of the Customs Collectorate Sialkot and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department Gujranwala region.
Talking to Customs Today in his office, Maj (r) Mansoor said that due to effective policies of the Customs Department and the FBR there is decrease in smuggling attempts. Mansoor said that he has seen while travelling on GT Road that ASO and Customs Intelligence staff was performing their duties and checking every vehicle. He said that smuggling is causing a huge loss to the national economy.
Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry head said that sale of smuggled goods is decreasing day by day in the markets because the successful operations of both departments have discouraged the smugglers.
He suggested that government and shopkeepers should promote local items and encourage customers to purchase local items. He said government should decrease taxes on local items so that the trend of smuggling decline.
He said that the taxes are main issue that is the main reason that smuggled items sell on cheap rates whereas the rates of local items are to much. He said the both FBR and Customs departments are playing vital to curb smuggling due to their limited resources and the Collector Customs Customs Collectorate Sialkot Ahmed Raza Khan is very active while he look after ASO matter personally rather Deputy Director Customs Intelligence Ms. Zainab Mehmood is also alert and she instructed her staff to use all available resources to curb smuggling in the region.
He said that smugglers will run away if both departments will continue their operation against smugglers. He said that the government and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should provide resources to both departments for eradication of smuggling from the country on priority basis.
