KOHAT: The Model Customs Collectorate Peshawar’s Kohat region could realise more revenue than the previous year, besides curbing the smuggling activities at large if it was given more work force and equipment.
This was stated by Assistant Collector Najeeb Arjumand in an interview with Customs Today, saying that “Kohat Customs is the largest division of the country having customs check-posts in settled areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA); therefore, we require as many as 20 inspectors and 200 sepoys to meet the annual targets and enforcement of customs laws.”
Telling about the performance during the fiscal year 2014-15, he said that Rs 18.35 million were collected as customs duty, showing 162 percent growth over the corresponding year 2013-14.
It also impounded 62 non-duty paid vehicles worth Rs 105 million in different anti-smuggling activities, Arjumand said, adding that smuggling of vehicles through Miran Shah has been suspended by smugglers owing to Zarb-e-Azb operation against militants.
He said that customs officials and taxpayers have good working relations due to which the ratio of cases in the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) office is at zero level. He added, “We are trying to address the issues of taxpayers and traders on priority basis because we are here to serve them.”
The assistant collector said that Tax Facilitation Centre was being established at Parachinar (headquarters of Kurram Agency) where assistant collector and deputy collector will spend four to five days a month to address the issues and raise awareness among people.
Saying that concessionary exports were not allowed through Kohat Customs and exporters like Lucky Cement and Kohat Cement have to export their consignments from Torkham border, despite using the inexpensive and safer route–Hangu-Parachinar, Arjumand said that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been asked to allow concessionary exports from Kohat
He said that Customs Kohat has been using the latest software for data compilation since 2010 which was updated every month. He said that the department was planning to establish an auction cell in Kohat as officials have to go to Model Customs Collectorate Peshawar for organising auctions.
Responding to a question, Najeeb Arjumand said that smuggling activities will not be allowed in the region, adding that three officials including one inspector and two drivers embraced martyrdom in February 2015 in an encounter with smugglers. He said Collector MCC Peshawar Qurban Ali Khan visited Kohat Customs in past days, which has motivated the staff.
Kohat Customs is the largest division of country having customs check-posts in settled areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. In North Waziristan Agency, there are two border stations; Ghulam Khan and Angorada, whereas in Kurram Agency, Kharlachi, Burki and Teri Mangal have three customs stations. Teri Mangal was closed since 2007 due to security issue but after eight years Assistant Collector Najeeb Arjumand restored it through notification issued on September 8, 2015. Kohat Customs is known as Salt House established in 1860 to enforce tax on salt.
