SIALKOT: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Member Customs Zahid Khokhar said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was making all out sincere efforts to facilitate the business community besides resolving exporters’ problems on priority basis.
He stated this while addressing an important meeting of the Sialkot exporters held at Collectorate of Customs.
He said that the FBR was also ensuring the level playing field for everyone besides providing the conducive atmosphere to the exporters enabling them to struggle hard with full devotion, dedication, enthusiasm and complete peace of mind for increasing the national exports.
He said that all the hurdles/obstacles would be removed from smooth way of promotion of national exporters by facilitating the business community and exporters as well.
FBR Member Customs Muhammad Zahid Khokhar highly hailed the Sialkot exporters’ pivotal role in strengthening the national exports, saying that the Sialkot exporters were the pride of Pakistan by earning foreign exchange to the tune of US$ 2 billion annually.
He said that the Sialkot exporters have set the unique examples of self-help by establishing several mega projects including Sialkot international airport on self-help basis, advising others to replicate it. He said that the Sialkot exporters have made marvelous socio-economic and human development on self-help basis.
Muhammad Zahid Khohar (Member Customs, Federal Board of Revenue-FBR Islamabad) assured that the FBR was fully aware of the perturbing problems of the Sialkot exporters, saying that the FBR was making all out sincere efforts to ensure the early amicable solution to these problems on priority as well.
Meanwhile, senior Customs officials also destructed huge quantity of foreign made contrabands cigarettes, expired edible items (dry milk powder, black tea, bubble gums), sports goods (imported /exported in violation of Intellectual Property Rights) , cosmetics, medicines and chemicals brought illegally in the country, destroyed during a special ceremony for destruction of contrabands held at Collectorate of Customs Sialkot here.
The officials said that every year the Collectorate’s staff seizes contrabands goods from Sialkot airport, import and export and Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) which are brought illegally in the country which are subsequently put to destruction.
Due to the active Anti-Smuggling Operations and the vigilance of staff, the Collectorate of Customs Sialkot was able to confiscate these goods, they added.
The contrabands destroyed includes 4706 bottles of liquor , 38000 tablets of expired and substandard medicines , 10000 packets of expired cigarettes, 100 cartons of expired food goods and huge quantity miscellaneous goods.
FBR Member Customs Muhammad Zahid Khokhar along with Chief Collector North Jawwad Uwais Agha and representatives of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs), customs department, military agencies, President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Zahid Latif Malik, managements of Sialkot International Airport Limited (SIAL), Sialkot Dry Port Trust (SDPT) and leading exporters were present on this occasion.
