Chief Collector Customs assures expeditious clearance of export consignments

By Commerce Reporter

LAHORE: Mr. Muhammad Sadiq, Chief Collector Customs, exports and IOCO has assured exporters of expeditious clearance of export consignments and immediate payment of duty draw back claims.

He was speaking to APTMA members on Friday during an interactive session on Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) and other Customs related matters. Ms. Azmat Tahira, Collector IOCO & Post Clearence Audit Lahore; Mr. Salman Afzal Collector Customs Exports Karachi and other high ranking customs officers also accompanied him on the occasion.

Chairman APTMA Kamran Arshad, Chairman North Asad Shafi, senior members including Haroon Ellahi, Faisal Pervaiz, Habib Anwar, Kh. Muhammad Yununs and Secretary General Raza Baqir welcomed him on the visit.

Chief Collector Customs assured APTMA of removing all irritants in EFS and other customs procedures to facilitate exporters so as to relieve them to focus solely and entirely on upsurging exports. He requested APTMA members to direct their clearing agents to mention detailed, crisp and specific description of goods on Good Declaration to avoid any delay.

Talking high of the importance of exports in general and textile industry in particular, he said no stone would be left unturned in facilitating textile industry for promotion of exports.

Sadiq assured of resolving all systems related issues and removal of irritants in EFS. He added that all cases for renewal of EFS authorizations would the processed on line and disposed off within 24 hours of submission of requisite documents. He continued that the option of auto removal of authorisation on the basis of past export performance is under consideration and expected to be launched shortly.

He highly appreciated role of APTMA on boosting exports and opined that most of APTMA demands being genuine would be addressed at the earliest.

In respect of Valuation Rulings on import of Cotton, he undertook to take up the matter with the customs valuation department for resolution of the problem.

Earlier Chairman APTMA Kamran Arshad, in his welcome address, pointed out abnormal delays taking place in renewal of existing EFS authorizations and fresh applications. He said cases for renewal of authorizations should not be referred to IOCO for redetermination of production capacity and Input Output ratios as law does not prescribe such exercise. He pointed out that the consignments of indirect exporters manufactured from raw materials imported under EFS are facing difficulties to be sold in the market as exporters are reluctant to buy such tax paid goods under EFS.

In addition, Chairman APTMA said audits are pending for long period, delaying release of PDCs/Guarantees as well as costing financially to exporters and getting new quotas.

Kamran pointed out that a large number of CRF are pending since long with customs Automation Department, which is hindering smooth functioning of the EFS.

He said, deduction of taxes and duties is still being reflected at statutory rate instead of effective rates despites specific rulings by FBR, which is needed to be corrected.

APTMA proposed that both IORs and Analysis certificates should be issued automatically on the basis of ratios determined in past IORs and FBR Textile Notes.

Kamran lamented that despite fully automated EFS procedures, a parallel duplicate manual system is being run causing delays and adding to costs. Manual submission of documents should be stopped immediately, he stressed.

Chairman APTMA said Valuation Rulings are being unlawfully applied on EFS and exports, which are creating delays and irritants and required to be done away with.

Asad Shafi Chairman APTMA North extended a vote of thanks to the visiting Customs officers. He appreciated fast track automation of customs department and proposed that manual submission of documents should be stopped altogether as customs department is claimed to be fully computerized.

Asad requested for periodical meetings between customs and APTMA for expeditious disposal of system irritants and pending matters. He hoped that with the cooperation from customs, textile exporters would focus solely on uplifting of exports, yielding valuable foreign exchange for the country and boosting of domestic economy.