KARACHI: The importers of different goods are taking undue advantage of regular orders passed by High Court of Sindh allowing benefit of Section 81 of Customs Act 1969, Ilyas Ahsan, counsel for Pakistan Customs submitted before a division bench of High Court of Sindh comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar here Wednesday.

The court, which was seized with the hearing of five identical, petitions pertaining to Natural Rubber imported by petitioner Zafar Importers.

The importers who were earlier filing the GD at a rate of US Dollar one and a half or one are now filing the same at a rate of 50 cents hence the amount of differential custom duty to be deposited with Custom authorities has fallen considerably causing a loss to the exchequer. Earlier they used to declare the value at US $ 2.50 or 2.0, he explained.

The importers are forcing to calculate differential amount as against declares value and valuation ruling whereas we suggest that differential amount be calculated as against “last admitted value and Valuation Ruling”, he submitted adding that sizeable loss of revenue was apprehended and in the end national treasury would suffer due to short payment of custom duty and other taxes.

The court however disposed of all the five petitions ordering that the petitioner may be given the benefit of section 81 (provisional release) if Valuation Ruling has been impugned in the petitions and in review if any filed before custom authorities.