KARACHI: Extreme confusion prevails at Pakistan Customs in the absence of clear policy guidelines regarding treatment of appraising officers who have been promoted as Principal Appraisers.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has recently promoted several appraising officers as principal appraisers, however no policy guidelines were yet issued regarding transfers and postings of these promoted officials. Moreover, the officials have not been reshuffled and posted as per their field of experience and expertise.
Collector MCC Appraisement East Ashad Jawad taking the initiative notified the postings of promoted appraising officers as principal appraisers. Collector MCC Appraisement West Dr. Fareed Iqbal and Collector Port Qasim Mukarram Jah however did not notify any transfers and postings as they are reportedly awaiting clear directives in this regard.
Directorate of Transit Trade Karachi notified transfers and postings of officials treating the promoted principal appraisers as appraising officers and their postings were notified as appraising officers.
Among the transferred officials Tariq Mahesar and Rashid Khanzada have been promoted. Sources said Rashid Khanzada refused to be transferred and posted as appraising officer while Tariq Mahesar is preparing to go on leave to avoid being posted as appraising officer, which is in violation of FBR orders.
Principal Appraiser Javed Akhtar is assigned Assessment & Processing, HQs, Law Audit, Recovery, Reconciliation, TPL while Sultan Aurungzaib is assigned Examination & Auction at PICT/KICT/East Wharf/West Wharf.
Appraising officer Amjad Iqbal is assigned Assessment & Processing, Law, Audit Admin officer; Tariq Mahesar is assigned Examination & Auction at QICT; Khurram Rafiq is assigned Examination & Auction at PICT/East Wharf; Umair Mohammad is assigned Assessment & Processing and Security Officer while Akhtiar Jamali is assigned Examination & Auction at QICT.
It may be mentioned here that as many as six principal appraisers and eight appraising officers are deputed in Directorate of Transit Trade Karachi despite the fact four principal appraisers are required in the directorate
Presently, there is severe shortage of appraising and examination staff in Pakistan Customs South region, the gap which can not be filled before June 2017. Resultantly, the existing strength is quite over-burdened affecting the efficiency as well as health of the officials.