KARACHI: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been empowered to impose service charges and date of determination of rate of import duty under Customs Act 1969.
The Finance Bill 2019 has proposed delegation of powers from federal government to the FBR, which included: levy of fee and service charges; date of determination of rate of import duty; date of determination of rate of duty for clearance through the Customs Computerized System; and date for determination of rate of duty on goods exported.
The bill proposed delegation powers to FBR under Section 18D, 30, 30A and 31 of Customs Act, 1969.
Presently Section 18D of Customs Act, 1969 states:
18D. Levy of fee and service charges.- The Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, subject to such conditions, limitations or restrictions as it may deem fit to impose, levy fee and service charges for examination, scanning, inspections, sealing and desealing, valuation check or in respect of any other service or control mechanism provided by any formation under the control of the Board, including ventures of public-private partnership, at such rates as may be specified in the notification.
Presently Section 30 of Customs Act, 1969 states:
30. Date of determination of rate of import duty.- The rate of duty applicable to any imported goods shall be the rate of duty in force;
(a) in the case of goods cleared for home consumption under section 79, on the date on which a goods declaration is manifested under that section; and
(b) in the case of goods cleared from a warehouse under section 104, on the date on which a goods declaration for clearance of such goods is manifested under that section:
Provided that, where a goods declaration has been manifested in advance of the arrival of the conveyance by which the goods have been imported, the relevant date for the purposes of this section shall be the date on which the manifest of the conveyance is delivered at the port of first entry:
Provided further that, in respect of goods for the clearance of which a goods declaration for clearance has been manifested under section 104, and the duty is not paid within seven days of the goods declaration being manifested, the rate of duty applicable shall be the rate of duty on the date on which the duty is actually paid:
Provided further that in case of the goods illegally removed from the warehouse, the rate of duty shall be the rate prevalent either on the date of in-bonding or detection of case or date of payment of the duty and taxes, whichever is higher:
Provided further that in case of exercising option for redemption of fine in lieu of confiscation of the goods seized during anti-smuggling operations, the rate of duty shall be the rate prevalent either on the date of seizure or date of payment of duty and taxes, whichever is higher:
Provided further that the Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, for any goods or class of goods, specify any other date for the determination of rate of duty.
Explanation:- For the purpose of this section “manifested” means that when a machine number is allocated to goods declaration and is registered in Customs record.
Presently Section 30A of Customs Act, 1969 states:
30A. Date of determination of rate of duty for clearance through the Customs Computerized System.- Subject to the provisions of section 155A, the rate of duty applicable to any imported or exported goods if cleared through the Customs Computerized System, shall be the rate of duty in force on;-
(a) the date of payment of duty;
(b) in case the goods are not chargeable to duty, the date on which the goods declaration is filed with Customs.
Provided that where a goods declaration has been filed in advance of the arrival of the conveyance by which the goods have been imported, the relevant date for the purposes of this section shall be the date on which the manifest of the conveyance is filed at the customs-station of first entry:
Provided further that the Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, specify any other date for the determination of rate of duty in respect of any goods or class of goods.
Presently Section 31 of Customs Act, 1969 states:
31. Date for determination of rate of duty on goods exported.- The rate and amount of duty applicable to any goods exported shall be the rate and amount chargeable at the time of the delivery of the goods declaration under section 131:
Provided that where the export of any goods is permitted without a goods declaration or in anticipation of the delivery of such a declaration, the rate and amount of duty applicable shall be the rate and amount chargeable on the date on which loading of the goods on the outgoing conveyance commences:
Provided further that the Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, for any goods or class of goods, specify any other date for determination of the rate of duty.
