CBR revises DGs, Customs chiefs jurisdictions: Draft notification issued

The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has revised the jurisdiction, functions and powers of the proposed Directors-General/Chief of Customs to condone time limit for legal proceedings and call for any record of the taxpayer under the Customs Act, 1969.
The reform process also envisages appointment of Director Generals, Customs, covering vast areas for making customs administration at the lower level. These DGs, Customs, would not replace any office, but work as competent authority to administer customs related issues at the level of collectorates.
Sources said on Saturday that the Chiefs of Customs have been empowered to exercise powers of section 195 of the Customs Act, 1969 to call for and examine the records of any proceedings.
They have also been empowered to extend time limit under section 224 of the Customs Act. According to the proposed notification, the territorial/jurisdictional limits of Chief Collector North would be Model Customs Collectorates of Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sambrial, Faisalabad and Multan. Chief Collector South would look after the Model Customs Collectorates of Karachi, Quetta, Gwadar and Hyderabad.
The office of Chief Collector North will be located at Lahore and Chief Collector South will be placed at Karachi. The Chief Collector of Customs shall be reporting to Member (Customs) CBR. He shall have co-ordination with other Directors-General of CBR and equivalent officers outside CBR to ensure efficient working of his subordinate offices.
In addition to all the powers exercised by any subordinate officer, the Chief Collector shall also exercise powers under section 195 and condonation of time limits under section 224 of the Customs Act, 1969.
He shall exercise the powers of a head of department under the fundamental rules and supplementary rules in his own office. For the purposes of disciplinary matters, he shall act as authority in relation to officials of BPS-16 serving in his jurisdiction and act as an appellate authority for the purpose of appeals filed by officials up to BPS-15 serving in his jurisdiction.
He shall initiate annual confidential reports of all Collectors of Customs in his jurisdiction, and shall be countersigning officer of Additional Collector within his jurisdiction.
He would be empowered to transfer officers of all ranks up to the level of collectors within his jurisdiction and transfer any officer in his jurisdiction to work as departmental representative for the appellate tribunal. He shall accord ex-Pakistan leave for all categories up to additional collector within his jurisdiction as per policy laid down by the CBR.
According to the notification, he shall supervise and co-ordinate the technical and administrative work, including revenue collection and anti-smuggling functions in his jurisdiction.
He shall carry out periodic review of the working of subordinate offices located in his jurisdiction and examine all the periodical returns, statements and keep a watch on the arrears and collection of customs duty, other taxes, surcharges, cesses etc in his jurisdiction. He would be responsible to standardise and regulate Public Notices and Standing Orders to the functioning of the Collectorates within his jurisdiction shall be issued with his prior approval and he may issue guidelines and advice to officers subordinate to him on technical, legal and administrative matters. He may exercise any other powers and perform any other function, which may be assigned to him by CBR.