LAHORE: Business leaders, industrialists and customs clearing agents have called for a transparent, uniform and market-based customs valuation system, urging authorities to address inconsistent assessments, excessive duties, procedural delays and difficulties faced by importers.
The demand was raised during a consultative session at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), where stakeholders highlighted concerns over unrealistic valuation of imported goods, prolonged review and appeal procedures, unnecessary detention of consignments and inconsistent assessment practices.
The session was chaired by LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar and attended by Director of the Directorate General of Customs Valuation, Lahore, Saima Aftab, LCCI Senior Vice President Sardar Usman Ghani, Vice President Chaudhry Khadim Hussain, All Pakistan Customs Clearing Agents Association Chairman Masood Ahmed Wain and representatives of various business sectors.
Speaking on the occasion, Saima Aftab stressed the importance of consensus among stakeholders to balance the interests of commercial importers, local manufacturers and other business sectors. She agreed that the valuation mechanism should accommodate the concerns of all segments rather than favouring any particular group.
She reaffirmed the department’s commitment to continued consultation, saying regular engagement with the business community would help authorities understand market realities and make balanced decisions.
LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar said customs valuation should be based on transparency, consistency and actual international market prices. He stressed that stakeholders must be consulted before any changes are introduced in the valuation mechanism.
He also called for expediting customs clearance, warning that unnecessary delays were disrupting business activities and increasing operational difficulties for importers.
Senior Vice President Sardar Usman Ghani said unrealistic valuations were increasing the burden of duties and taxes, raising the cost of doing business and adversely affecting local industries and exports. He called for a comprehensive review of existing valuation practices and sustained engagement between customs authorities and the business community.
Highlighting technical concerns, Ghani said the classification and valuation of different steel grades and imported components required proper assessment of their composition, specifications, quality and applications. Decisions based on incomplete information, inaccurate product descriptions or incorrect technical reports could create serious difficulties for importers and entire industries, he added.
He urged customs authorities to safeguard legitimate business interests while ensuring the protection of government revenue.
LCCI Vice President Chaudhry Khadim Hussain also called for a transparent and consistent valuation mechanism. Other LCCI representatives expressed concern that some imported goods were being assessed on the basis of internet listings or local retail prices rather than authentic international trade data.
They stressed that actual transaction values, historical import records and reliable data from exporting countries should be considered, particularly for products regularly imported over several years.
Participants also objected to different valuation rates being applied to identical products imported by different businesses, calling for uniform and clearly defined assessment criteria. They urged authorities to review internet-based valuations, simplify lengthy appeal procedures, prevent unnecessary detention of consignments and reconsider the separate valuation of retail packaging.
The meeting also highlighted difficulties faced by Punjab-based traders, who often have to travel to Karachi to complete certain import-related formalities. Participants called for improved local facilities and effective arrangements in Lahore to save traders time and resources.
Former LCCI Vice President Haris Atiq, Executive Committee members Huma Junaid, Muhammad Ijaz Ghori, Naila Nadeem, Ali Raza and Muhammad Umar Abdullah Chaudhry, along with customs clearing agents’ representatives Jasim Siddiq, Agha Iftikhar, Mirza Qasim, Imran Asghar and others, attended the session.
