ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed to customs field formations to maintain and provide complete record of the legal cases.
Sources told Customs Today that the main objective of the Federal Board of Revenue to examine pursuance of legal cases in cost effective manner, identification of cases decided against the department and reason thereof, whether the cases are framed in national interest or just to harass the importers, exporters and manufacturers, and evaluation of performance of legal cells staff with a view to analyze the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the entire process.
Federal Board of Revenue also directed these field formations to devise a mechanism for performance appraisal of advocates and personal interest by head of offices in legal cases coupled with increased coordination with advocates for speedy disposal of cases.
It is important to mention here that Section 179 of the Customs Act, 1969 empowers the customs officers to adjudicate the cases as per limit prescribed therein.
For the purpose, the Federal Board of Revenue had established six collectorates of adjudications at Karachi-1, Karachi-II, Quetta, Lahore, Faisalabad and Islamabad.
The customs act also provides the detailed procedures and manner for appeal by any aggrieved party at higher forums such as appeals to collector appeals (section 193), appeal to appellate tribunal (section 194) and reference and appeal to high court and supreme court (section 196).
