The Customs Department has embarked upon a policy of facilitating business community of the country by providing them maximum facilities besides generating revenue for the official kitty, Peshawar Customs Collector Qurban Ali Khan said while speaking at a reception hosted in his honour by Peshawar Dry Fruit Traders and Merchants Association.
All Pakistan Commercial Expoters of Precious and Semi Precious Stones (APCEA) Chairman Zulfiqar Ahmad Siddique, Peshawar Dry Fruit Traders and Merchants Association Chairman Mamoor Khan, prominent businessman Manzoor Elahi and high ranking officials of the Customs department were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the customs collector said that the whole department had been computerised to facilitate speedy processing of documentation relating to clearance of goods for imports and exports.
Khan said that 20 years ago, there was only one collector in the customs department for the whole Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), FATA and Gilgit Baltistan, but now there were around 1,000 customs officials in KP.
Now Customs Collectorate has become a progressive organization where no one can fleece the traders in name of documentation, he said.
Khan informed the participants of the reception that recently Custom Collectorate had deputed assistant collector at Parachinar (Kurram Agency). “Now around 600 trucks are crossing border from Parachinar to Afghanistan on daily basis and similarly trucks are coming here loaded with goods including fresh fruit and other items,” he said.
He said that the Customs department is opening its station in Lower Dir district, Mohmand Agency, Shangla district and a few other districts of KP.
He said that on the Torkhem post, a modern system had been launched for the facilitation of business community.
Qurban Ali said he was also providing the facility of import of cars from Torkhem post in accordance with rules under which vehicles are cleared at Peshawar dry port.
For the first time in the history of the country, import of furnace oil has been allowed from Torkhem border. Similarly, import of coal has also started creating more economic activities in the region, he said.
He also disclosed that establishment of Azhakhel Dry Port had been approved and needed only a formal notification after which work would start on the project.
He also assured the businessmen that smuggling had been blocked in almost the entire region and an anti-smuggling squad had sealed the border with Afghanistan.
“Our import has shown significant increase due to stopping of smuggling from Afghanistan,” he said.
Referring to the demands made in the welcome addressing, Qurban Ali Khan said that he would arrange a meeting of representatives of business community of KP with members of Evaluation Committee of Customs.
He said that on recommendations of APCEA, a committee had been formed comprising members of business community and customs officials for removal of hindrances in import and export of gemstones.
Peshawar Dry Fruit Association Chairman Haji Mamoor Khan and APCEA Chairman Zulfiqar Ahmad Siddique also spoke on the occasion and apprised the customs collector about problems they were facing at dry port and airports.