KARACHI: In order to facilitate the trade in general and customs agents community (service providers) in particular during the ongoing lockdown situation due to outbreak of Novol Coronavirus (COVID-19), the managing committee of Karachi Customs Agent Association under their respective capacities are performing their role and making all possible efforts for the re-dressal of grievances being faced by the members, which are as under para wise:
1) KCAA delegation headed by President Yahya Muhammad along with General Secretary Muhammad Aamir & Joint Secretary Zahid Bashir Chaudhary held a meeting with the commissioner Karachi and discussed the ongoing situation & business transactions pertaining to clearance of import & export consignments during the lockdown.
KCAA has requested the higher authorities of FBR and Pakistan Customs i.e. Member Customs (Policy) and Chief Collector South (Appraisement) & (Enforcement) that in view of the foregoing situation, it would be near impossible for traders/customs agents to submit duty / taxes on time hence it was requested to the member customs to exercise the power under Section 224 of the Custom Act 1969 for extension of time limit and condone the fine/penalty for delay in late filing of Goods Declaration up to 30 days instead of 10 days, imposed under clause 47.A of Section 156 of the Custom Act 1969 as a gesture to support & facilitate the trade. Hopefully favorable results will be achieved in this regard.
4) KCAA has proposed to member customs that since the WeBOC system is working online but hard copy of FTA certificate needs to be submitted over the counter for verification in this regard members are advised to submit scanned FTA and online verification while filing the goods declaration, so that it may be processed without visiting Customs House FTA counters.
8) We are pleased to inform that KCAA are making efforts regarding online payments at terminals & submission of all required documents electronically through email of Customs Agents. Inshallah in the upcoming days this facility will be implemented for the facilitation of our customs agent’s community.
It is also pertinent to mention here that through the efforts of KCAA when the business activity of custom agent community was starting to get affected KCAA issued precautionary measures for our members to be safe from the pandemic and also held discussion with the Appraisement East and Appraisement West which subsequently resulted in a order which stated that all hearing with concerned officials can be conducted over the phone and a list of nominated officials was also circulated
