Directorate Internal Audit (DIA), Customs has detected unverified tax refunds amounting to Rs 118.088 million issued by Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Appraisement, East. According to sources, the MCC, Appraisement East instead of facilitating audit team by providing relevant record created hurdles to avoid audit conducted by the Directorate.
The sources further said that after hectic efforts by the audit team, only photocopies of refund register were provided and the scrutiny of which revealed that MCC Appraisement East issued refund cheques to the tune of Rs 118.088 million during 2015-2016 to different importers/auctioneers and KPT. However, no relevant record to verify the veracity of such tax refunds was available with the refund section, sources maintained.
Furthermore, sources said that in the absence of relevant record, admissibility, genuineness and merit of such refunds cannot be verified by the audit team. Keeping the said in view, the Directorate has issued another letter to the Collector, MCC Appraisement, East, with the request to look into the mater personally and ensure the production of requisite official record to the visiting audit team. Subsequently, audit team made ample visits but no record was provided despite lapse of reasonable time, they said.
Replying to a question, sources said that MCC Appraisement, East, was required to justify this serious omission and take this matter seriously and unearth the reasons of non production of official record to the audit team and added that the Collectorate should also share the findings of the management and produce the relevant record before the Directorate within the prescribed period.
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