FPCCI Raises Questions Over Anti-Smuggling Measures by Customs

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) President Atif Ikram Sheikh said the business, industry, and trade community of Pakistan has grievances with the malpractices in preventive and anti-smuggling functions of the Customs department. He emphasized that the situation can be improved if human interaction is minimized in anti-smuggling functions. There are reports on a daily basis wherein the anti-smuggling staff stops the consignments unnecessarily on their way upcountry on the pretext of rechecking the containers and their contents, he said in a statement. FPCCI SVP Saquib Fayyaz Magoon said that Customs staff stops consignments that are already assessed and examined by the appraisement staff against GDs, which are also duly duty paid. He said rechecking these assessed consignments has no grounds, however, if there is any solid information or intelligence then such checking may be carried out by a responsible officer of ASO, who should be no less than the rank of an Assistant Collector. Magoon said there is an urgent need to review and update the relevant laws and regulations and the role of clearing agents may be defined clearly. For this purpose, FPCCI’s committee on customs enforcement will extend its full support, he added.