The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to expand the list of notified smuggled items by including all brands of cigarettes in SRO 566(I)/2005, enabling the customs department not to release smuggled cigarettes on payment of fine during adjudication process.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Wednesday that the FBR will amend SRO 566(I)/2005 through a notification in coming days to include cigarettes in the list of the smuggled items. The Customs Anti-Smuggling Wing of the FBR has moved a summary to FBR Chairman Salman Siddique for approval of the amendment in SRO 566(I)/2005.
The SRO 566(I)/2005 covers list of items which have been declared as smuggled items, including auto parts of all sorts, alcoholic drinks all sorts, fertilisers, firecrackers, antiques, arms and ammunition, acetic anhydride acid, CDs or recording on any other media, CFC gas based refrigerators, deep-freezers and other refrigerating cooling and chilling equipment as included in the Trade Policy in force, currency, counterfeit coins, forged or counterfeit currency notes, and any other counterfeit product, edible oils, all sorts, including hydrogenated vegetable oil and other items notified in the said notification. Therefore, the 566(I)/2005 will be amended to include cigarettes in the list of the smuggled items.
The notification will be issued in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (ii) of clause (s) of section 2 and sub-section (2) of section 156 of the Customs Act, 1969 (IV of 1969). After issuance of the new SRO, the Federal Government will specify cigarettes for the purposes of the aforesaid sub-clause (ii) of clause (s) of section 2 and sub-section (2) of section 156 of the Customs Act 1969. Through amendment in the 566(I)/2005, the customs officials would be empowered to declare smuggling of cigarettes as criminal offence, and confiscated cigarettes would not be released on payment of redemption fine.
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