ISLAMABAD: The Customs Collectorate of Quetta has zero presence of customs in the whole Sibi and Naseerabad divisions. MCC Quetta is planning to meet the 2nd half revenue collection by enhanced emphasis on anti-smuggling. Reactivation/strengthening of check-posts, close liaison with other Law enforcement agencies (LEAs), disposal of seized goods/vehicles and goods worth Rs715million will be auctioned. Around Rs500million is expected to add during the remaining months of Financial Year 2016-17.
This was stated by Collector MCC Quetta Dr Saeed Khan Jadoon while giving an interview to Customs Today.
He said the collectorate of Quetta has vast area of about 1/3 of land mass which has very volatile security environment whereas there is acute shortage of human and material resources. He added that there is about 240 staff/officers for anti-smuggling while (Strength of Frontier Constabulary (FC) along Pak-Iran/Pak-Afghan border is estimated about 30000. Therefore presence of customs staff is only on the two border crossing points of Taftan and Chaman.
He said the borders with all three provinces have huge demand for smuggled goods and national anti-smuggling strategy is also a big challenge because of that fact that customs staff does half-hearted attempts against smuggling activities.
Regarding the challenges facing by Quetta collectorate, he said smuggling of POL products from Iran is estimated Rs30billion loss. He said smuggled goods carried from Panjgoor to Basima to Surab to Mastung and reached Quetta/Bolan as other route starts from Panjgoor–Naagh-Khuzdar–M8-Larkana whereas smuggled goods also come at Gwadar from Karachi via costal highway whereas smuggled goods come from Basima to Kharan to Noshki–Kanak-Kuchlak–Loralai–Zhob. The other route is Mand–Turbat–Gwadar–Awaran while the next route is Mastung–Kanak–Darkhsha and smuggled items come from Mashkail–Dalbandin–Afghanistan via sea route. He said the POL products are smuggled via Gwadar–Pasni–Lasbella to Karachi.
The collector Quetta recommended that there is an urgent need for recruitment of staff/officers for Balochistan on emergency basis as the Board should ordered establishment of an independent single preventive collectorate for uniformity of policies throughout the province whereas it is urgently need to establish joint check-posts on interprovincial borders to check/deter smuggling to facilitate the legal trade and prevent the undue stoppage.
He further said that it is urgently required to chock the main smuggling routes whereas directorate general of valuation may take MCC Quetta onboard at the time of fixation of the value of import via land route from Iran. All Iran-origin goods when imported via land route may be given a discount of 15-20% in value while the FBR must establish Integrated Transit Trade Management System (ITTMS) project at Chaman for trade facilitation and effective controls.
