KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has ordered Customs to provisionally release two consignments imported by two different importers and also directed the Valuation director general to decide the appeal filed by the petitioners challenging VR 848/2016 within a month.
The divisional bench of SHC, comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Khadim Hussain M Shaikh, issued the directives in petitions filed by ARG Enterprises and PIVA International who imported tooth paste from Indonesia.
The petitioners said that the Customs Valuation has revised Valuation Ruling VR 813 of 2016 dated 28-1-2016 by VR 848 of 2016 dated 6-5-2016 increasing the Customs Duty and other taxes from US 85 cents to 1.5 US $ per kilogram which is almost double than charged in previous reading.
On behalf of the petitioners, Ghulamullah advocate submitted that they have availed remedy available and have filed an appeal before the Director General Valuation and same was challenged in the instant petitions also. He said that new VR was issued in violation of section 25 (a) of the Customs Act 1969 as respondents hurried in determining and issuing new VR 848 of 2016.
Khalil Dogar and Khurram advocate, on behalf of the Director General Valuation, opposed the plea and said that the valuation ruling was issued after due process and strictly following procedure under section 25 a of Customs Act 1969.
After hearing both sides, the bench ordered provisional release of the consignments with the direction to petitioner to submit the differential amount (assessed amount and declared amount) with the court, while the Valuation director general was also ordered to decide the appeal filed by the petitioners challenging VR 848/2016 within a month.
