KARACHI: The scheme of post-clearance verification (PRV) initiated by MCC Appraisement West in August last and followed by MCC Appraisement East recently, continue to yield results as Appraisement West has recovered Rs20.122 million short-paid on 82 different consignments in April 2014 alone.
According to details, MCC Appraisement-West initiated the PRV in August 2013 to discourage under-invoicing because of the nexus between importers/clearing agents and corrupt Customs officers/appraisers.
As many as 82 consignments, which were cleared in the month of April, were detected that have been cleared despite short-payment of revenue. The Appraisement-West formed cases against the importers and recovery was made.
It may be mentioned here that Collector Appraisement-West Mohammad Saleem took strict notice of this inefficiency and negligence as over 17 appraisers and principal appraisers were either issued show-cause notices or were put on duty-off.
Officials said that PRV had discouraged under-invoicing to a reasonable extent, as the importers who got their under-invoiced consignments cleared through bribing the Customs officials had to pay the evaded revenue.
Moreover, this would also discourage corruption among the appraising staff who colluded with the importers/clearing agents to inflict loss to the national exchequer for filling their own pockets.
The companies/importers from which the short-paid revenue was recovered include Glaxo Smith Kline Pakistan, Rs1.176 million were recovered; DACCA Corporation, Rs2.304 million were recovered; Tandi Trading, Rs1.0 million were recovered; Master Wool spinners, Rs6.75 million were recovered and many others.