KARACHI: Customs Intelligence and Investigation Karachi has detected massive evasion of duty and taxes due to misdeclaration in a consignment of ProVitamin A E160A.

Information was passed through Director Engineer Habib to Additional Director Inamullah Wazir regarding misclassification in the import of ProVitamin A imported by M/s Popular Food Industries.

On the directives of Deputy Director Abeer Javed, Principal Appraiser Muhammad Qadeer the consignment assigned to gate-out. Scrutiny revealed the importer misclassified the goods under incorrect PCT code 2936.2100 attracting zero customs duty and additional customs duty, 18% sales tax and 2% income tax. The goods are classifiable in PCT code 3204.1800 11% zero customs duty, 2% additional customs duty, 18% sales tax and 5% income tax.

Incorrect classification resulted in short payment of duty and taxes to the tune of Rs 5.33 million. The important had cleared 13 previous consignments under wrong PCT. A total short payment of Rs32.9 million is calculated on 14 consignments and recovered from the importer.