KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed Revenue Division secretary, Customs Intelligence-Enforcement and deputy attorney general to file their respective comments on a petition filed by M/S Batum Association (Pvt) Ltd against charging 20 percent custom duty on polymer gel batteries and others.
A two-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, heard the petition.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel stated that petitioner imported goods, which included 380 pieces of polymer gel battery AG12V 155AH and 194 pieces of polymer battery MPG12 VB 200AH from China weighing 37,141 kilogram.
According to the petitioner, it paid duty/taxes amounting to Rs 3,024,225 through two separate receipts on April 15 and 20, 2016. The petitioner added that it paid Rs 2,872,417 on April 15, 2016 whereas Rs 151,812 was paid on April 20. However, officials of the customs authority seized the said shipment and claimed that said batteries fall under PCT Code 1850:2010 which is to be charged at 20 percent custom duty instead of 10 percent.
The petitioner submitted that custom authority had demanded further amount of Rs 1,058,243 as custom duty/taxes. It pleaded the SHC to declare that respondents are not justified in making a demand of 20 percent custom duty on the said goods by applying wrong classification. The court was further requested to declare that act of the respondents as illegal, mala fide and unjustified.
