KARACHI: The Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) Karachi has exposed the several cases of massive tax evasion in terms of duty/taxes mounting Rs 775 million approximately misusing SRO 125/2011.
The FBR sources informed Customs Today that the Directorate of Customs I&I Karachi on the special instructions from the Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Islamabad has scrutinized the data of several importers and found that the importers were involved in massive evasion of duty/taxes of Rs 775 million approximately under the heads of custom duty, sales tax and withholding tax through misusing of SRO 1125/2011.
Sources further disclosed that the various importers were engaged in import of fabric/yarn by availing undue advantage of the SRO1125/2011 and involved in evading legitimate taxes.
“The Directorate of Customs I&I Karachi on the credible information received by the Directorate General of Customs I&I, Islamabad has initiated the crackdown against the corrupt elements and found that the importers having no manufacturing unit and status were involved in misusing the SRO1125/2011 in import of fabric /yarn, causing colossal loss of revenue to the national exchequer,” they added.
Moreover, the authorities of the Directorate has started legal action against importers and made contravention and seizer reports against importers who were involved in tax evasion worth million of rupees.
Sources also confirmed that the cases have been sent to the Adjudicating authorities for further legal proceedings, adding that such import consignments were cleared from MCC Appraisement-East, West and Port Muhammad Bin Qasim.
Furthermore, Director Customs Intelligence and Investigation Karachi, Asif Margoob Siddiqui has confirmed that huge amount of tax evasion has been involved in such cases and said that the Inland Revenue Wing of FBR has also testified the cases and non-existence of manufacturing units.
It is important to mentioned here that the Directorate of Customs I&I Karachi had also detected the tax evasion cases of Rs 576 million in violation of SRO 1125/2011 during April-May, 2014; and 53 such containers were also seized at Karachi Port wherein duty/taxes amounting to Rs 225 million was involved on account of mis-declaration of value by misusing SRO 1125/2011.
