PESHAWAR: The Customs Department has been following a policy to provide maximum facilities to the business community besides generating revenue for the official kitty.
This was stated by Collector Customs Peshawar, Qurban Ali Khan, while speaking at a reception hosted in his honor by Peshawar Dry Fruit Traders and Merchants Association.
All Pakistan Commercial Expoters of Precious and Semi Precious Stones (APCEA) Chairman Zulfiqar Ahmad Siddique, Peshawar Dry Fruit Traders and Merchants Association Chairman Mamoor Khan, prominent businessman, Manzoor Elahi and high ranking officials of the Customs Department were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Qurban Ali said the whole the department has been computerized to speed up the process of documentations relating to the clearance of goods for imports and exports.
He said about 20 years ago in the Custom Department there was only one Collector for whole KP, FATA and Gilgit Baltistan, but now there are around 1,000 officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone.
Now the Custom Collectorate has become a progressing organization where no one can cheat the traders in name of documentation.
Qurban Ali Khan apprised the participants of the reception that recently Custom Collectorate has deputed Assistant Collector at Para Chinar (Kurram Agency). Now around 600 trucks are crossing border from Para Chinar to Afghanistan on daily basis and similarly trucks are coming here loaded with goods including fresh fruit and other items.
He said the Custom department is opening its station in Lower Dir district, Mohmand Agency, Shangla district and other few districts of KP.
He said special attention has been given to Torkhem post where a moder system has been launched for the facilitation of business community.
Qurban Ali said he is also providing facility of import of cars from Torkhem post in accordance with rules under which vehicles are cleared at Peshawar dry port.