KARACHI: Director General Customs Valuation Syed Tanveer Ahmed has revised Valuation Ruling No.838/2016 vis-à-vis the customs values of biscuits.
Importers of biscuits including M/s Shadr-e-Wala Brothers challenged the valuation ruling No.838/2016 submitting the Valuation Department has acted in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner.
In the under reference Valuation ruling, maximum values of plain biscuits of some specific brands for all origin are mentioned at S. No. 3 & 4 as $. 1.60 & 1.45/Kg. respectively, and value of all other brands is mentioned at S.No.5 as $ 1.5/Kg, similarly value of same item for USA & Europe origin is mentioned at S. No. 5 as $ 2.40-kg, it does not sound good to hear that maximum value covering entire range of biscuits in the world is determined as $2.40/Kg whereas ‘WALKER’ is the only brand in the world which is sold or marketed at $ 11.30/KG i.e. at 4 to 5 times higher value than any other brand in the entire world.
Before issuance of impugned valuation ruling all such imported consignments of biscuits including Walker brand were allowed released by the respective Customs Collectorates on the basis of Values mentioned in the then prevailing Valuation ruling No. 504/2012.
Now through the fresh valuation ruling, prices of almost all such brands are revised by enhancement of 10 to 29 percent of values mentioned in the previous ruling of Biscuits.
Importer mention here that the only reason for issuance of the said impugned ruling was that it was brought to the notice of the Directorate General that there is higher, upward trend in the values of this product, subsequently values of entire range of biscuits has been determined in the impugned ruling, but value of OREO Brand was maintained, there might be no difference in value since last 4 years, on the other hand through the under reference VR, the impression is given that there is only one specific brand in the world for which the upward trend at about 465 percent is noticed.
The DG examined record of the case. Accordingly market survey was conducted. It was found that plain biscuits, cream biscuits, wafers etc. were sold at a very high rate as compared to declared values. The values were worked back and following values are fixed accordingly.
