KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed the customs authorities to shift M/s Umar and Co’s consignment of prime quality steel sheets to customs bonded warehouse.
Headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, a division bench, further directed the customs authorities to examine within three days whether the imported steel sheets are of prime or secondary quality. Advocate Navin Merchant, who represented the petitioner, submitted that her client had imported prime quality steel sheets and filed general declaration for assessment of customs duty and taxes.
However, the customs authorities disputed the quality of goods as of secondary quality attracting higher rate of duty and did not release the goods nor they shifted the goods from the port to the customs bonded warehouse. The petitioner’s counsel said the importer had been issued show-cause notice for mis-declaring the quality of goods.
She said the importer had requested the authorities to shift the goods to warehouse to save demurrage charges as they are lying on the port but to no avail. The court was pleaded to order the authorities to shift the goods to warehouse and refer the matter to a relevant committee to examine the quality of steel.
