ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue is likely to approach the Commerce Ministry to impose restrictions on the import of banned and used cooking oil unfit for human consumption under the guise of residue of fatty acids or acid oils and is subsequently marketed and available in the market. The FBR also weigh up different options to implement the proposals of the registered industry in this regard.
According to details, It a report to the FBR, the I &I (Customs) Directorate General has confirmed the viewpoint of ghee/cooking oil industry on the illegal import of banned and used cooking oil which is subsequently marketed, after a little bleaching, as cooking oil/vegetable ghee for use in low quality junk foods. The commodity is poisonous and injurious to public health, but abundantly available in local markets on low prices.
The Directorate General I&I (FBR) has asked the FBR to implement the proposal of the documented industry that import of the commodity should not be allowed in drums to minimise chances of misdeclaration and that bulk import of residue of fatty acids/soap stocks should be restricted to industrial concerns only i.e. recognised manufacturers of soap and oleo chemicals. In this regard, the board is planning approaching the Commerce Ministry for imposition of proposed restrictions in the IPO.
In its report to the FBR, I & I (Customs) Directorate General cited that the Pakistan Vanaspati Manufactures Association (PVMA) had informed that used cooking oil, banned for import, was being imported by certain unscrupulous importers by misdeclaring it as Residue of Fatty Acids (PCT 1522.0090) or Acid Oils (PCT 3823.1990). Reportedly, the commodity is subsequently marketed, after a little bleaching as cooking oil / vegetable ghee and was being used in low quality junk foods. The commodity is poisonous and poses a serious threat to the public health but ironically is abundantly available in local markets on prices less than the landed cost of even crude edible oil. It is generally imported in used and rusty iron steel drums.
