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ISLAMABAD: To tackle the menace of non-duty paid smuggled vehicles, Muhammad Tariq Huda, Member (Customs Operations) Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Friday disclosed that the FBR was working on a technological solution to stop the influx of smuggled vehicles into Pakistan, and a new anti-smuggling plan would be enforced at the national level.

He was addressing the inauguration of the Facilitation Desk of the Pakistan Customs at the premises of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), here on Friday.

The ICCI has taken another positive step for the facilitation of its members by establishing a Facilitation Desk of Pakistan Customs in its premises, which was inaugurated by Dr Arsalan Subuctageen, Member (Legal and Accounting-Customs) and Syed Muhammad Tariq Huda, Member (Customs Operations) of the FBR in a ceremony held at the ICCI.

According to the FBR Member (Customs Operations), the FBR has been able to effectively handle the issue of smuggled mobile phones through technological solutions. The FBR achieved two objectives by using technology i.e. smuggling of phones ended and revenue from mobile phones jumped.

The FBR collected Rs48 billion from mobile phones in 2019-2020 as compared to Rs12 billion in 2018-2019. In a similar manner, the FBR will also use technology to control the issue of smuggling of non-duty paid smuggled cars in the country.

Only enforcement would not work to eradicate the menace of smuggling in the country, he maintained. He admitted that the demand of non-duty paid vehicles into the country was high and the FBR would work out some scientific way out to deal with the smuggled cars instead of amnesty schemes. However, amnesty scheme is not the solution of this issue, FBR Member said.

FBR Member was also responding to a query of a businessman that hundreds of non-duty paid vehicles are daily coming into Pakistan from Afghanistan and these vehicles ultimately come into the tariff areas of Pakistan. Tariq Huda stated that Prime Minister Imran Khan was committed to ending the menace of smuggling in the country.

Tax authorities have shared research on smuggling and plan with the prime minister in this regard. The taskforce has been constituted and structure of young officials is required for carrying out anti-smuggling duties at borders. The short-term action plan like raids is not the permanent solution of smuggling.

The anti-smuggling efforts must sustain in the long-term. If we secure our border areas alongwith the use of technology, the FBR would be able to deal with the issue of smuggling on national level. "The biggest challenge, I am facing is to control the menace of smuggling. I have got the administrative structure at the top to get assistance of the Interior Secretary and law enforcement agencies for coordinated efforts to check smuggling," Tariq Huda stated.

The FBR Member (Customs Operations) said that a five-year sustainable plan was required to control smuggling under a long-term vision. Dr Arsalan Subuctageen, Member (Legal and Accounting-Customs) informed that the order of the FBR to cut smuggled/tempered cars into pieces seemed to be not fully enforced in the field formations.

Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President, Saif ur Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI, Mian Akram Farid Chairman Founder Group, Tariq Sadiq, Chaudhry Waheedud Din, Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi, Zafar Bakhtawari, Iftikhar Anwar Sethi, Rafat Farid, Ahsan Bakhtawari, Amin Pirzada, Abbas Hashmi, Zia Khalid Chaudhry Khalid Chaudhry and others were also present at the occasion.

Malik Sohail Hussain, Chief Coordinator UBG FPCCI performed the role of stage secretary. With the establishment of Facilitation Desk, ICCI members would now be able to avail all Customs-related services and get their issues resolved within the premises of the ICCI instead of visiting various offices of Pakistan Customs.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Dr Arslan Subuctageen, Member (Legal and Accounting-Customs) and Syed Muhammad Tariq Huda, Member (Customs Operations) of FBR said that the facilitation desk would provide customs-related services to the business community and help in resolving their issues.

They said that availability of Pakistan Customs facilitation desk in the premises of the ICCI was a great facility that must be availed by the business community. They said close relations between business community and Pakistan Customs would help in improving the Pakistan's economy.

They also shared their plans with the business community for controlling smuggling and improving tax revenue of the country. They appreciated the role of ICCI for providing enhanced facilities to its members by establishing facilitation desks of various organizations in its premises.

Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry thanked Dr Arslan Subuctageen Member (Legal & Accounting-Customs) and Syed Muhammad Tariq Huda Member (Customs Operations) FBR for their cooperation in setting up Facilitation Desk of Pakistan Customs at ICCI. He said the purpose of arranging this facility at ICCI was to provide customs-related services and resolve issues of business community under one roof that would facilitate them in business promotion.

He said that the ICCI was in the process of setting up facilitation desks of other organizations including ICT Administration, Islamabad Police, and the NADRA to provide more facilities to its members and help them in promoting business activities.

Tahir Abbasi, senior vice president ICCI thanked the guests and participants for attending the inaugural ceremony and hoped that the establishment of facilitation desk of Pakistan Customs would be very beneficial for ICCI members.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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