LAHORE: Collector Customs (Preventive) Zulfiqar Younas and Director Intelligence Saud Imran have said that the Customs Department has evolved a strategy to work together with the business community and asked the businessmen to forward their proposals to tackle the menace of smuggling.
They were addressing a joint meeting held in collaboration with Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Lahore. Zulfiqar Younas was of the view that genuine businessmen are playing important role in the development and economic prosperity of the country.
He said that they were contributing the national exchequer a very important revenue enabling the administration to initiate the projects of public welfare including education and health.
He said that the customs department is always there to address the genuine issue of the business community. He added that the doors of his office are always open for the genuine grievance of importers and exporters.
Director Saud Imran said that the customs intelligence was doing its best to nip thin the bud the menace of smuggling. He said that genuine businessmen are paying duty and taxes but when the smugglers bring in the market goods and article without paying duty and taxes the genuine business tend to decrease or many times eliminated.
H said that genuine businessmen must identify the fake businessmen among them so the smuggling activities could be curtailed. He added that the businessmen should lend their hand to overcome the issue of smuggling.
On this occasion LCCI vice [resident Nasir Saeed said that smuggling, under invoicing, SRO culture, raids at business premises and undue checking of goods are hampering the activities of business sector and adding to the miseries of business community.
He suggested that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should devise a mechanism in consultation with the business community to overcome these issues with in the shortest possible time.
On the occasion, LCCI former vice presidents Aftab Ahmed Vohra, Kashif Anwar and a large number of traders were present.
