KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed customs officials and deputy attorney general and directed them to file their para-wise comments on petitions filed by several importers including M/s Raja Steel against wrong valuation of iron & steel products as secondary quality instead of prime quality.
On December 15, 2018, a two-member bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi was hearing the matter. During the hearing, counsels for petitioners submitted that they are engaged in the import of, among others, prime quality iron & steel products which are covered/assessed under chapter 72 of Pakistan Customs Tariff under the relevant sub-chapter headings of “others” as opposed to secondary quality iron & steel products, which are specifically and expressly mentioned by their nomenclature i.e “secondary quality”.
Importers further argued that during the course of their business, the petitioners imported consignments of prime quality from China and received import documents in respect thereof, having arranged for the consideration thereto to be paid against proper banking channel.
Counsels further stated that the petitioners’ prime quality goods whilst lying on the port or either being on their way its representatives have been informed that such consignments are to be assessed as those of “secondary quality” on account of directives as contained in the public notice no 03/2018, whereby the second respondent has issued the so-called “guidelines” for the purported purpose of streamlining and facilitating the determination of secondary quality iron & steel products with effect from 10/11/12018.
Citing Chief Collector Appraisement South, Collector of Customs Appraisement West and East as respondents, importers pleaded the court may declare that act of the respondents is illegal, mala fide and restrained them from taking any coercive action against it till final order in these petitions.
