ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has launched massive crackdown against illegal petrol pumps from Monday (January 11, 2021) on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan in a recent meeting directed the FBR and relevant authorities to initiate harsh action illegal petrol pumps selling smuggled petroleum products.
The FBR in this regard wrote letters to Chief Secretaries of all the provinces, chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Inspector General of all the provinces and chief collectors of Pakistan Customs about initiating the crackdown from January 11, 2021.
The FBR is going to launch action including on-ground checking and scrutiny of requisite documentary enforcement team during operation with the help of Pakistan Customs, District Administration, Police etc.
A FBR notification said that during the course of operation the enforcement teams would enquire from the owner/manager of the retail outlet to present following documents:
- Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) authorization/dealership
- Form-K
In case of non-production of requisite documents, following further steps shall be taken by the team:
- Failure to produce both these documents shall render the outlets ‘illegal and unauthorized’ and the POL products present there shall be deemed to have been smuggled or illegally acquired as per The Customs Act, 1969, The OGRA Ordinance, 2002 and Rules made thereunder.
- Inventorization of POL will be carried out as per details given in para 6.
- Customs officials shall serve the owner/manager of the POL outlet notices under Section 3(kk) and Section 26 of the Customs Act, 1969 to bring forth any legal document establishing the legality of the sale outlet within 7 days.
- In case, no one is available at the premises, the notices shall be posted on the doors/walls of the office/building.
- After service of notice under Section 2(kk), the POL products will be deemed ‘detained’ pending production of requisite documents by the owner, if any and its verification by customs.
- The illegal POL outlet will be sealed by District Administration as per para 5(c) and Police force shall be deployed immediately to safeguard the detained goods and premises till the finalization of the proceedings.
In case, the process of documentary scrutiny or in the absence of any lawful document, confirms that the petrol pumps, outlet is illegal, the district administration shall seal the premises of the petrol pump under Section 43A of Pakistan Petroleum (Refining, Blending and Marketing) Rules, 1971 made by Minister of Petroleum.
In case, if the premises of illegal outlet has been closed or found abandoned but it has been used previously as illegal petrol station, the same shall be sealed and the owner/manager shall be proceeded against by District Administration for violation of The Petroleum Act, 1934, the OGRA Ordinance, 2002 and Rules made thereunder.
