KARACHI: The latest statement of Prime Minister Imran Khan that a Customs Collector was making Rs700 million per month has been widely criticized; even some ridiculed the former cricketer for making such baseless claims.
The Customs officers and officials said that the Prime Minister was being informed and the PM’s statements had made him a laughing stock, adding that the PM should be careful in this regard.
There are over 30 collectors in Pakistan Customs, in addition to those there are certain directors in BS-20. Then there are collectors appeal, appraisement, preventive and adjudication. If PM Khan’s claims are correct, it translates into Rs24.5 billion per month and Rs294 billion a year, being minted by these collectors.
An official said that WeBOC was an online computerized system, and a collector could make such quantum of money only if he/she had complete control on Risk Management System (RMS), country’s 70 percent imports should be under his/her jurisdiction, authority to control all the assessment staff so that he/she could prohibit the assessment staff from conducting examination and verifying import related documents.
An official said that by his tone and statements, PM Khan was still an opposition leader. If the PM knew that such level of corruption was on at Pakistan Customs, he should have taken some action.
The tone of Prime Minister seems that some opposition leader is speaking. he is the Prime Minister and he should take action, instead of maligning institutions and dampening the morale of officers.