Customs duties/valuation: Call for equal treatment of imports at upcountry dry ports

Upcountry dry ports have invested heavily in the development of infrastructure and also are incurring huge expenses to maintain these ports but are facing financial crunch due to lower volume of exports and imports routing through dry ports due to the unhealthy and non-friendly attitude of official departments, said Chairman, Faisalabad Dry Port Trust Muhammad Siddique Chaudhry.
Talking to newsmen he said that the exporters were not using upcountry dry ports due to considerable delay in refund of rebate claims as compared to duration of refund of rebate claims at Karachi Collectorates. He said that imports at upcountry dry ports are not treated equally with that of Karachi Ports in respect of customs duties and valuation.
Therefore, he said, exporters are reluctant to use upcountry dry ports for their imports and exports. Muhammad Siddique Chaudhry called for similar application of customs procedures/rules at upcountry dry ports and desired that delay in refund of export claims should be eliminated.