Section 19 till 19C of Customs Act, 1969 explains that government may exempt customs duty in emergency situations.
The FBR issued updated Customs Act, 1969 up to June 30, 2021. The act has been updated by making amendments brought through Finance Act, 2021.
Following is the text of section 19 till 19C of the Customs Act, 1969:
19. General power to exempt from customs-duties.- (1) The Federal Government, whenever circumstances exist to take immediate action for the purposes of national security, natural disaster, national food security in emergency situations, protection of national economic interests in situations arising out of abnormal fluctuation in international commodity prices, implementation of bilateral and multilateral agreements, and to any international financial institution or foreign government-owned financial institution operating under a memorandum of understanding an agreement or any other arrangement with the Government of Pakistan, subject to such conditions, limitations or restrictions, if any, as it deems fit to impose, may, by notification in the official Gazette, exempt any goods imported into, or exported from, Pakistan or into or from any specified port or station or area therein, from the whole or any part of the customs-duties chargeable thereon and may remit fine, penalty, charge or any other amount recoverable under this Act.
(2) A notification issued under sub-section (1) shall be effective from the day specified therein, notwithstanding the fact that the issue of the official Gazette in which such notification appears is published at any time after that day.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, including but not limited to the Protection of Economic Reforms 1992 (XII of 1992), and notwithstanding any decision or judgment of any forum, authority or court, no person shall, in the absence of a notification by the Federal Government published in the official Gazette expressly granting and affirming exemption from customs duty, be entitled to or have any right to any such exemption from or refund of customs duty on the basis of the doctrine of promissory estoppel or on account of any correspondence or admission or promise or commitment or concessionary order made or understanding given whether in writing or otherwise, by any government department or authority.
(4) The Federal Government shall place before the National Assembly all notifications issued under this section in a financial year.
(5) Any notification issued under sub-section (1) after the commencement of the Finance Act, 2015 shall, if not earlier rescinded, stand rescinded on the expiry of the financial year in which it was issued:
Provided that all such notifications, except those earlier rescinded, shall be deemed to have been in force with effect from first day of July, 2016 and shall continue to be in force till thirtieth day of June, 2018, if not earlier rescinded:
Provided further that all notifications issued on or after the first day of July, 2016, and placed before the National Assembly as required under sub-section (4) shall continue to be in force till thirtieth day of June, 2022, if not earlier rescinded by the Federal Government or the National Assembly.
19A. Presumption that incidence of duty has been passed on to the buyer.- Every person who has paid the customs duty and other levies on any goods under this Act shall, unless the contrary is proved by him, be deemed to have passed on the full incidence of such customs duty and other levies to the buyer as a part of the price of such goods.
19B. Rounding off of duty, etc.- The amount of duty, interest, penalty, fine or any other sum payable, and the amount of refund, drawback or any other sum due, under the provisions of this Act shall be rounded off to the nearest one hundred rupees and, for this purpose, where such amount is fifty rupees or more, it shall be increased to one hundred rupees and if such part is less than fifty rupees, it shall be ignored.
19C. Minimal duties not to be demanded.- Where the value of imported goods does not exceed five thousand rupees, no duties and taxes shall be demanded, subject to conditions and restrictions as may be prescribed by the Board under the rules.
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