KARACHI: Suspecting possible forgery of documents by M/s Causis Mass Transit in the import of electric buses from China, MCC Appraisement East has approached Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to take up the matter with concerned ministry for early response from Pakistan commercial Counselor in China to verify the exports GDs through the respective Customs authorities in China.
An official said if forging of documents was proved, FIRs will be lodged against M/s Causis Mass Transit.
Briefly, M/s CAUSIS Mass Transit imported 50 units or Electric Buses and sought clearances thereof at a declared value of USD 45,000/- per unit. Evidences of identical/similar goods were not available in 90 days data. The declared per unit value of the impugned buses was found abnormally low when compared with the diesel and hybrid model buses whose data was available in the database.
Credible information was received that the importer was trying to evade huge amount of duty/taxes as large number of buses were anticipated to be imported in the next few months and that they would try to create evidence in this regards for a much lower value in comparison with the actual value.
The importer / clearing agent and the concerned shipping agent were asked to provide all relevant documents including documents submitted at the port of loading as no local agent of the manufacturer of the impugned buses was available in the country for ascertaining MSRP as per procedure laid down.
Later on, the shipping agent formally provided all these GDs (duly certified). These Export GDs filed with Chinese Customs as provided by the shipping agent were tallied with the Goods Declarations filed by the importer/agent in Pakistan. The description and specification of the goods, port of loading & discharge, and the chassis numbers as given in the import GDs were found tallied with the description and specification of the goods, port of loading & discharge, and the chassis numbers mentioned in the aforementioned China Customs’ Export GDs.
The aforesaid export GDs showed that the declared FOB per unit value as USD 211,330. Accordingly, the value of goods, after adding freight etc, in the light of evidential export GDs came to USD 214 300 per unit.
The Collectorate has also requested the Board for formal verification of Chinese Export GDs and the Board has taken up the matter with Consulate Generals (Trade & Investment), Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Contraventions were framed which were adjudicated upon and charges of mis-declaration of value leveled in the show cause notice were established.