PESHAWAR: The importers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have condemned the corruption of billions committed by Intelligence and Investigation Officers each year at Sukkur Customs Check-Post.
I&I Wing of the Customs, Federal Board of Revenue Sukkur, have established a Customs Check-Post at a junction from where nearly 300 to 500 vehicles pass each day. On demand, they ask for Rs20000 bribe from one loaded vehicle.
Despite a clear chit of the clearance from the Qasim Seaport or any other Dry Port Station where I&I Inspectors ask for physical checking of already checked vehicles in order to further frustrate the small importers.
The importers at Peshawar, including Diamond Trading Co, Abdul Malik Paracha & Co, Ajmal Furniture House, Akbar Enterprises, Al Saud Import & Export Technology, Continental Trading Corporation, Dawn Traders, F. F. Enterprises in a talk with Customs Today on Friday, said the number of genuine importers is declining in Peshawar due to extra payments of bribe which is hampering the genuine business of import.
If this practice goes on unchecked then importers will shift their business to foreign countries or shut down their trade due to marginal profit.
The nature of distribution based commerce platform is becoming very expensive day by day due to more restrictions imposed by the government authorities on the importer, exporter and distributor.
Talking about the nature of business, they said Pakistan, being not fully established in business, needs more commerce than restrictions. Our primary goal, thus, is to pursue the idea as to “how can better we profit from the rapid globalization happening around, they said.
“In short, this platform serves as an effective tool that can be used to connect even to the farthest of the markets for being a prime source of connectivity throughout the globe.
Innovations, in today’s happening world, can best be described as “localizing the global concepts” and ensuring quality coupled with competitive pricing providing room for the latest technologies and trends to prevail locally.
All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association also flayed the wild acts of Customs I&I wing at Sukkur and demanded that the high-ups at the FBR should mend the ways of corrupt officials until our community protests on roads against the FBR.
