KARACHI: MCC Appraisement East has missed its revenue collection target by 7.0 percent collecting Rs451.55 billion during the year ended June 30, 2020. The revenue collection by MCC Appraisement East is also less than the previous year’s collection of Rs457.22 billion.
MCC Appraisement East is the largest collectorate and considered the hub of organized crime.
Due to the revenue collection shortfall, Collector Riaz Memon has taken notice of the situation. Memon has advised the staff to tighten the grip on mis-declaration, under-invoicing and other means of revenue evasion with prime focus on streamlining the Examination.
An official said many mega scams are likely to be unearthed, as Collector Eng. Riaz Memon is committed to break the network of organized crime.
The used clothing scam wherein high value, high tariff and banned items were imported and cleared under the garb of used clothing causing revenue loss to the exchequer of over a billion rupees. The import and clearance of high value, high tariff and banned items was going on for a long time under the patronage of the then Principal Appraiser Group-IV and R&D.
An official said the said Principal Appraiser, now promoted to the rank of Assistant Collector, was in-charge of Group-IV under which used clothing is imported; and he was also the in-charge of R&D so he was running his scheme without any fear.
Official said the above mentioned Principal Appraiser (now Assistant Collector) was a close associate of then Member Customs, and could not be removed from his position by the Collector. After the transfer of Member Customs, he was transferred to PRV.
Used clothing scam was such a big story that it was taken over by NAB. However, one Principal Appraiser whom had moved to NAB after retiring from Customs, brokered a plea bargain in the used clothing scam, and NAB after reciving just peanust in a multi-billion scam gave clean chit to the accused importers. Moreover, investigation against Customs officials was also shelved.
It may be mentioned here that ASO of MCC Preventive Karachi had detected the used-clothing scam, which was one for a very long time.