Chief Collector Customs South Wajid Ali said that we are bringing innovation in customs in Pakistan, for the first time collected a historic tax. Using state-of-the-art technology to prevent smuggling. He expressed these views during his visit to Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI). KATI President Salman Aslam, Senior Vice President Maheen Salman, Standing Committee Chairman Faraz-ur-Rehman, former President Danish Khan, and other officers and members were also present on the occasion.
Chief Collector Customs South Wajid Ali added that the officers of customs have always stopped illegal activities without caring for their lives. Many officers were martyred to end smuggling. He said that the customs department is of utmost importance in the country. Steps are being taken to facilitate the business community in exports and imports. Wajid Ali said that the customs department prevents billions of rupees worth of drugs from entering the country every year and it is destroyed in the presence of media on which the staff of the department is commendable. Chief Collector Customs South added that help desks would be set up in key industrial areas like KATI to provide better facilities to the business community.
Earlier, KATI President Salman Aslam said that Chief Collector Customs South Wajid Ali had also served as the Director of the Directorate of Reforms and Automation Customs. He said that effective measures should be taken to curb smuggling to discourage smuggling in the country and eliminate the damage done to the national exchequer. Steps should be taken to allocate National Bank branches in all industrial areas for submission of duties. A special coordination desk should also be set up for the convenience of exporters and importers and industrialists. Establish branches in trading centers and industrial areas where duty-related facilities are available.
President KATI said that issues related to the delivery of goods at the port should be resolved immediately. Delivery points should be set up in industrial areas and more licenses should be issued to facilitate and expedite the delivery of imported goods. Salman Aslam said that maximum facilities should be provided to the exporters and industrialists for the submission of duty. This is not only necessary for the promotion of economic activities in the country but it will also increase the duty collection itself.
On the occasion, Faraz-ur-Rehman, Chairman, Standing Committee, said that an online complaint mechanism should be set up to address all the issues, concerns, and grievances of the business community related to customs. Absence of container terminals regulation body, misuse of tax and duty exemptions given to former FATA and PATA areas, delay in refunds, unfair demurrage charges, digitization and inadequate investment in container scanners, HS and PCT code Inadequate diversification, neglect of the principle of cascading on industrial raw materials and inadequate consultation process with the stakeholders of the business community are major obstacles to the smooth running of customs operations. He said that Karachi gives 70% of the revenue of the country and its 70% of revenue comes from Korangi Industrial Area, therefore the problems of Korangi Industrial Area should be solved on a priority basis.
Faraz-ur-Rehman further said that regulatory authority should be set up for container terminals to improve the working procedures between traders and container terminals. The process of revision must continue to adapt to the ever-changing commercial and industrial environment of tariff rationalization. He said that the monopoly of shipping companies that demand an exorbitant price from exporters should be abolished which would increase the cost of exporters. There should be a continuous consultation process between industrialists and FBR members and policymakers.
The Chairman of the Standing Committee suggested that a focal person be posted in KATI for customs matters and their resolution so that immediate action could be taken on the problems and irregularities faced by the business community.
