Unjustified checking of imported goods by Customs slammed

Progressive Group (PG) in the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) has drawn attention of the Chamber President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, what it said unjustified checking of imported goods by the Customs authorities during transportation and impounding imported items after breaking locks of closed shops at night.

It urged the LCCI Chief to take up the issue with the Authorities concerned and legal importers should be given relief against time and again and unjustified checking by the customs authorities.

In a joint statement issued here on Thursday, Progressive Group's President Khalid Usman, Vice President Muhammad Arshad Chaudhry and Deputy Secretary Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer claimed that the customs authorities nowadays carrying out multiple checking of imported goods during their transportation.

They said that it is not only delaying the delivery of imported goods but also creating issues for the businessmen. They demanded that the Authorities should provide a list of required documents to the importers following all legal formalities, so they can pin those documents with the bill of loading (truck builty).

They also claimed that customs staff raid closed shops at night and impound all legal goods after breaking the locks. They said that the staff should provide importer a chance to furnish all the import documents of the stock before taking it into their custody.

They alleged that the anti-smuggling staff of the customs avoid checking vehicles carrying smuggled stuff but impound goods imported by the legal importers to win appreciation of their superiors. They claimed that in that case customs authorities even don not bother to check GD (Goods Declaration) form. They appealed for snubbing this tendency.

Progressive Group's leadership said that the customs authorities have to distinguish between legal importers and smugglers. Otherwise, this attitude of customs would lead to closure of legal businesses which would render thousands jobless while also deprive the national kitty from precious tax money.