The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is actively reviewing requests for the transfer back of Pakistan Customs officials who were posted to outstations in 2019. This move comes in response to a significant number of appeals submitted by affected officials over the years.
(more…)Category: Pakistan Customs
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Regulatory duty on wheat import withdrawn; SRO issued
ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday issued notification to withdraw regulatory duty on import of wheat and other wheat products.
The Revenue Division issued SRO 119(I)/2020 dated February 19, 2020 to amend SRO 680(I)/2019 to withdraw regulatory duty on import of wheat.
The government imposed 60 percent regulatory duty on import of wheat, which has been withdrawn through the latest SRO.
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Clearance resumes as EPA clears Custom House building
KARACHI: Customs clearance has been resumed after a briefed period of closure as Environment Protection Agency (EPA) cleared the Custom House Karachi from any threat owing to spread of toxic gas.
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Customs clearance suspended due to mysterious gas threat
KARACHI: Port activities and customs clearance were suspended on Monday as precautionary measures in the wake of mysterious toxic gas which claimed at least five lives.
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DGRM authorized to manage risk involved in customs clearance
KARACHI: Directorate General of Risk Management (DGRM) has been authorized to manage risk involved in customs clearance of containerized, LCL and bulk cargo.
The FBR on Wednesday issued SRO 101(I)/2020 to amend Customs Rules, 2001. Through the SRO the FBR issued Risk Management System Rules.
It said that the DGRM to manage risk involved in customs clearance of containerized, LCL and bulk cargo including but not limited to transit cargo, international passengers and accompanied and unaccompanied baggage thereof including clearances against carnet-de-passage/TIR.
The DG has also been authorized to plan, design and implement strategies by applying accredited risk management tools and techniques specific to each transaction types relating to imports, exports and transit of goods and clearance of international passengers.
The DG shall also monitor, evaluate and review Risk Management System based on changing national and international trends and feedback from stakeholders.
According to the SRO, the DG shall examine clearance patterns of various sectors and commodities to identify, analyze and evaluate risks, develop mitigation strategies and present the same to Risk Management Committee (RMC) for approval and implementation.
The DG shall responsible to develop system whereby different stakeholders’ compliance levels are determined. Compliant stakeholders are facilitated in the system, it added.
The DG shall coordinate with Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation Customs (DG I&I) to get feedback in the structured format after completion of investigations of cases or studies undertaken by the DG I&I.
The DG shall also coordinate with the Directorate General of Customs Valuation to develop checks and parameters for selection of cases requiring valuation scrutiny.
It said that RMC shall be headed by a BS-21 officer of Customs preferably Director General RMS and shall comprise many BS-19 and BS-20 officers of Customs as may be notified by the FBR.
According to the SRO, the meetings of RMC shall be convened at least once every month.
The RMC shall perform the following key functions, namely:
a. to review performance of the RMS;
b. to review risk parameters and behavior of important risk indicators;
c. to set benchmarks for interventions or interceptions focusing on targeting the risky consignments or entities; and
d. to review major detections by the collectorates or directorates (I&)- Customs with respect to RMS.
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FBR notifies transfer, postings of BS-20 Customs officers
ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Tuesday notified transfers and postings of Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) officers in BS-20 with immediate effect and until further orders.
Following officers have been transferred and posted:
01. Abdul Qadir Memon (Pakistan Customs Service/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector, Collectorate of Customs, (Appeals), Karachi from the post of Chief, Federal Board of Revenue (HQ), Islamabad.
02. Ms. Seema Raza Bokhari (Pakistan Customs Service/BS-20), who is currently posted as Collector, Model Customs Collectorate, Islamabad has been given look after charge of Collector, Model Customs Collectorate of Gilgit-Baltistan in addition to her own duties.
03. Muhammad Junaid Jalil Khan (Pakistan Customs Service/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector, Collectorate of Customs, (Appeals), Islamabad from the post of Chief, Federal Board of Revenue (Hq), Islamabad.
04. Dr. Tahir Qureshi (Pakistan Customs Service/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector, Model Customs Collectorate, Gwadar from the post of Collector, Model Customs Collectorate, Gilgit-Baltistan.
05. Muhammad Jamil Nasir Khan (Pakistan Customs Service/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector, Model Customs Collectorate of Appraisement and Facilitation (West), Karachi from the post of Chief, Federal Board of Revenue (Hq), Islamabad.
06. Imran Ahmad Ch. (Pakistan Customs Service/BS-20) is currently posted as Director, Directorate of Post Clearance Audit(North), Islamabad. The officer will also look after the charge of Director, Directorate of Internal Audit-North (Customs), Islamabad.
07. Ms. Azmat Tahira (Pakistan Customs Service/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector, Model Customs Collectorate (AIIA), Lahore from the post of Director, Directorate of Internal Audit-North (customs), Islamabad.
08. Basit Maqsood Abbasi (Pakistan Customs Service/BS-20 has been transferred and posted as Collector Model Customs Collectorate of Enforcement and Compliance, Lahore from the post of Collector, Model Customs Collectorate (AIIA), Lahore.
The FBR said that the officers who are drawing performance allowance prior to issuance of this notification shall continue to draw this allowance on the new place of posting.
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FBR, Iranian customs sign agreement for electronic data exchange
ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Iranian Customs authorities on Monday signed an agreement for Electronic Exchange of Data.
The signing ceremony was chaired by Member (Customs-Policy/Operation), FBR Muhammad Javed Ghani, and subsequently presided over by the acting Chairperson, FBR, Nausheen Javaid Amjad.
The Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement was signed between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on March 04, 2004.
In light of the said agreement, it was felt imperative by FBR to make progress on a number of important areas for protecting economic interests of Pakistan involved in bilateral trade between Iran and Pakistan.
Under the agreement, it was decided to finalize of the MoU on Electronic Data Exchange between Pakistan Customs and Iran Customs.
It was also emphasized to exchange values or documents on real time basis in case of the goods to be imported or exported and to roll-out a fully automated clearance system having advance information about goods and passengers at Taftan – Mirjaveh Border stations (as a pilot project) and at other border stations in a phased manner.
To this effect, the Iranian customs authorities were approached and meetings were held on February 18-20, 2019 and October 16-17, 2019.
In the last meeting, on October 16-17, 2019 milestones were achieved and consensus was developed on the areas as listed in above Para.
In furtherance of the subject matter, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) nominated, the Director General of Information Technology Department Mrs. Haideh Bagheripour to come over to Pakistan for signing the MoU on behalf of her Customs Administration.
While welcoming the distinguished guests from Iran Customs, the Chairperson, FBR, Nausheen Javaid Amjad stated that implementation of this MoU will have a number of benefits for both Iran Customs and Federal Board of Revenue such as availability of advance information about values, descriptions and quality of the goods to be imported into Pakistan from Iran and reduced costs on clearance of goods at the borders. Moreover, accurate valuation of the imported goods will lead to realization of greater revenues, she said.
Member (Customs-Policy), Muhammad Javed Ghani, while speaking on the occasion, warmly welcomed the esteemed guests from Iran Customs on their visit to Pakistan.
He said the proposed cooperation through the Memorandum of Understanding would go a long way in fostering a long-term relationship between both customs administrations and would enable them to successfully cope with the challenges that they were facing.
According to him, implementation of this MoU would ensure optimum trade facilitation through quick examination /assessment of the imported goods and more transparency and lesser human interface.
He assured Iran customs of full cooperation from Pakistan Customs on any area pertaining to mutual assistance and collaboration.
Ambassador of Iran in Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, was also present on the occasion.
He has conveyed felicitations to all the present officers of Federal Board of Revenue and appreciated both customs administrations for working untiringly to reach the consensus on the provisions of MoU and, finally, converging to sign it.He expressed his pleasure over the fact that there were a number of important areas wherein both customs administrations could work together in the best interests of Iran and Pakistan.
After signing of MoU, the instrument was exchanged between relevant officers of Iran Customs and Federal Board of Revenue.
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No claim of compensation against customs officials
KARACHI: An owner of goods has not entitled for claiming compensation from customs officials for any damage done during lawful detention.
Customs officials said that in case any consignment is detained lawfully and during detention any damage occurred to the goods unintentionally then the owner of goods cannot claim compensation for such damage.
They said that Section 216 of Customs Act, 1969 explained as:
Section 216: No compensation for loss or injury except on proof of neglect or willful act
No owner of goods shall be entitled to claim from any officer of customs compensation for the loss of such goods or for damage done to them at any time while they remain or are lawfully detained in any custom-house, customs area, wharf or landing place under the charge of any officer of custom, unless it be proved that such loss or damage was occasioned by gross negligence or willful act of such officer.
Section 214: Remission of duty and payment of compensation to the owner in certain cases
Where, on prosecution by the owner of any goods, an officer of customs is convicted of an offence connected with the removal of such goods from the warehouse without payment of duty, the whole of the duty on such goods shall be remitted, and, the Collector of Customs, shall, in accordance with the rules, pay to the owner due compensation for the damage caused to the owner by such offence.
Section 215: Service of order, decision, etc
Any order or decision passed or any summons or notice issued under this Act shall be served-
(a) by tendering the order, decision, summons or notice or sending it by registered post or the courier service or by any other mode of transmission subject to acknowledgement receipt to the person for whom it is intended or to his agent; or
(b) if the order, decision, summons or notice cannot be served in any manner provided in clause (a), by affixing it on the notice board of the custom-house; or
(c) in case of electronic orders, decisions, notices or summons, when these have been sent to the recipient from the Customs Computerized System.
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Customs clearance of used cloth, shoes without banned
KARACHI: The Central Health Department of the federal government has advised the customs authorities not to clear imported used cloths and used shoes without proper fumigation in the wake of coronavirus threat.
The collectorates of Pakistan Customs have been informed through the fresh advisory on Saturday about the Pneumonia outbreak due to Novel CoronaVirus.
According to the advisory, the customs stations have been asked that second hand clothings, used shoes and other worn articles should not be cleared without fumigation under the supervision of Port Health Establishment, Karachi till further orders.
However, the department has no objection to clear other consignments.
Earlier, on January 27, 2020 the Port Health Establishment in a letter to customs collectorates that cargo imported from affected areas in China should not be cleared without proper fumigation.
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FBR reshuffles senior customs officers in BS-20-22
ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday reshuffled senior officers of Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) and notified transfers and postings with immediate effect and until further orders.
Notification of following officers has been issued:
01. Javed Ghani (PCS/BS-22), who is currently Member (Customs Policy), FBR (HQ), Islamabad, has been assigned additional charge of Member Customs (Operations), FBR (HQ), Islamabad.
02. Jawwad Uwais Agha (PCS/BS-21) has been transferred and posted as Member FBR (HQ) Islamabad from the post of Member (Customs Operations),FBR (HQ) Islamabad.
03. Muhammad Saleem (PCS/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector, MCC (Appraisement), Peshawar from the post of Collector, MCC (Preventive), Multan.
04. Khaleel Ibrahim Yuousfani (PCS/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector MCC (Preventive), Peshawar from the post of Collector, Collectorate of Customs (Appeals), Karachi.
05. Muhammad Yaqoob Mako (PCS/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector, MCC (Preventive) Quetta from the post of Collector, MCC, Gawadar. He will also look after the charge of the Collector MCC, Gawadar.
06.Irfan-ur-Rehman (PCS/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector, MCC (Appraisement), Quetta from the post of Director, Directorate of Transit, Trade, Quetta. He will also look after the charge of Directorate of Transit Trade, Quetta
07. Fayyaz Anwar (PCS/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Collector MCC (Preventive), Multan from the post of Director, Directorate of I&I Gawadar.
08. Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh (PCS/BS-20), who is current posted as Collector, MCC (Export) Karachi. He will also look after the charge of MCC (Export) PMBQ, Karachi.
09. Irfan Javed (PCS/BS-20), who is currently posted as Director, Directorate of I&I Karachi. He will also look after the charge of the post of Director, Directorate of I&I Gawadar.
10. Asif Saeed Khan Lughmani (PCS/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Chief, FBR (HQ), Islamabad from the post of Collector MCC (Preventive) Peshawar.
11. Ihsan Ali Shah (PCS/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Chief, FBR (HQ), Islamabad from the post of Collector, MCC (Appraisement), Peshawar.
12. Mr. Iftikhar Ahmed (PCS/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Chief, FBR (HQ), Islamabad from the post of Collector, MCC (Preventive), Quetta.
13. Raza (PCS/BS-20) has been transferred and posted as Chief, FBR (HQ), Islamabad from the post of Collector, MCC (Appraisement), Quetta.
The FBR said that the officers who are drawing performance allowance prior to issuance of this notification shall continue to draw this allowance on the new place of posting.