The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) probing committee, formed on the apex court’s directives, unearthed duties and tax evasion of over Rs 50 billion, as 23,882 containers of commercial category under the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) destined from Karachi port to Afghanistan did not pay duty.
Besides, record of 19,000 containers dispatched to Afghanistan through Chaman and Torkham borders under non-commercial category for International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF) from January 2007 to October was not found, unearthing another pilferage in the national exchequer. A three-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim was conducting suo motu hearing on a case pertaining to ISAF container scam and FBR Chairman Salman Siddique informed the bench about the matter. The FBR chairman said FIRs were lodged against the culprits including the importer, clearing agent, terminal and port operator, custom officials, shipping agents and transporter against 147 missing containers, while a letter of explanation was also issued to the officers concerned.
He said a lukewarm response from Afghan government in providing commercial transit cargo sent to Afghanistan was delaying the verification of facts. The FBR chief said that ever since the apex court directed FBR to initiate action into the scam, a better revenue realisation had been recorded. Earlier on July 6, the FBR submitted a report saying statistics revealed that perception change from impunity to accountability did result in shifting of ATT cargo (commercial) to regular import channels and had contributed additional duties and taxes amounting to Rs 3,618 million for 15 major items alone, after factoring the increase on account of natural growth. ATT cargo has four categories – commercial, non-commercial imported by Afghan government or NGOs, non-commercial imported by NATO ISAF Forces and non-commercial imported by US Military.
This story is going on since November 2010 and under Suleman Siddique as chairman since January 2011 but where is the Rs 20 billion that Mr. Suleman Siddique promised to recover. I hope CJP differentiates between distracting rhetoric and real work. Six months have passed recovery of a penny has not been effected whereas tons of harassment has been and is being thrown on Customs Officers. Poor Chairman doesnt have the IQ to understand that Anti-smuggling measures are jurisdiction of Customs Intelligence , Preventive Collectorates and Anti-smuggling organizations of other Collectorates. All these have been left not only untouched but on top of it further inquiry has been given to Customs Intelligence who reportedly takes Rs 50,000 for each Afghan Transit Container that is pilfered enroute.Chairman is too naive and so is the arrogant CJP.
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