KARACHI: MCC Appraisement West collected Rs15.5 billon as Customs Duty during the month of June 2020 against the target of Rs12.87 billion thereby exceeding target by 20 percent.

Overall revenue collection by MCC Appraisement West clocked in at Rs28.5 billion during June. The collection of revenue through administrative measures like proper valuation, post release audit, auction of long-pending goods at ports, recovery of arrears, finalization of provisional assessments, and pursuing clearance of overstayed goods from bonded warehouses constitutes a big chunk of import-related revenue.

Collector MCC Appraisement West Nasir Jameel had tasked Additional Collector Aamir Theim to scrutinize the recovery data, bank guarantee and PRV to realize stuck-up revenue since due to COVID-19 imports had declined. Similarly, Additional Collector Examination Zubair Shah and Deputy Collector Jahanzaib Abbasi were advised to look into auction of confiscated goods.

As many as Rs30 billion were recovered from recovery cell, bank guarantee cell through timely encashment of guarantees and post release verification (PRV).

Around Rs.3 billion were collected through administrative measures in June alone. Jamil Nasir, Collector lauded the efforts of officers and officials of the Collectorate who worked as frontline workers during corona epidemic and ensured speedy clearance of import cargo.

While talking to the officers in a meeting held on the eve of 30th June for reviewing revenue performance, Nasir said that we should be cognizant of the fact that every member of the Collectorate irrespective of his position in the administrative hierarchy, from sepoy to the Collector, played an important role towards revenue collection during crazy times of Covid-19.

The guidance and direction provided by Suraiya Ahmed Butt in particular helped a lot in achieving customs duty target of June, Collector emphasized.

The officers and officials who attended the said meeting made a resolve to continue the momentum in the new financial year by maximizing efforts to collect due revenue through four-pronged strategy having effective monitoring to control misdeclaration, facilitation of trade through reduction in clearance time, open door policy and effective grievance redressal, and strict adherence to the principles of transparency and merit in decision making as its important planks.

The Collector emphasized upon the members of his team that they should remain accessible to the importers and their representatives for prompt problem resolution and take decisions strictly on merit without any fear or favour. It may be mentioned that the Collectorate of Appraisement West is an important contributor of import-related revenue to FBR.

During FY 2019-20, this Collectorate made an overall contribution of Rs. 235 billion to the national kitty out of which share of Customs Duty was Rs. 99 billion.