KARACHI: MCC Port Qasim has detected gross misuse of green channel facility as various high value goods are being cleared from green channel mis-declared as iron and steel scrap.

Collector Port Qasim Saeed Akram advised Aditional Collector Yasin Murtaza to keep a vigil on scrap consignments being cleared from the green channel. Murtaza formed a team headed by Deputy Collector Ihsan Ali and comprising Principal Appraiser Shahid Rizvi, Appraising Officers Anwer Zeb and Rana Insaram Rabbani to randomly examine containers declared to be scrap from green channel.

The exercise yielded results and the Customs detected revenue evasion of Rs16.7 million in December 2017 alone.

Several importers including M/s Matsui Traders, M/s Diamond Metals, M/s G.M.B Steel Furnace, M/s Lahore Steel Mills, M/s Waqas Steel Furnace, M/s M.S Enterprises, M/s Fast Synthetic, M/s Malik Steel  Re-rolling Mills and M/s A.H & Co were found indulging in mis-declaration.

MCC Port Qasim has already recovered a sum of Rs2.36 million while efforts are underway to recover the remaining amount.

Surprisingly, scrap consignments are being cleared through the green channel.

An official said green channel facility was being widely misused by certain unscrupulous elements causing huge revenue loss to the national exchequer, and it is surprising to note that scrap consignments are being cleared through the green channel leaving wide room for mis-declaration and under-invoicing.