Export of certain commodity not being allowed despite permission

SOHAIL SARFRAZ

ISLAMABAD: Some customs officials of Karachi are not permitting export of organic brown cane sugar despite removal of the restrictions on its export under the amended Export Policy Order 2009.

Sources told Business Recorder here on Friday that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has asked the Collector Model Customs Collectorate of Exports Karachi to examine the issue in light of the Export Policy Order 2009 and submit a report to the Board. The Ministry of Commerce has requested the FBR to resolve the matter as per Export Policy Order in vogue.

Meanwhile, the unit has conveyed to the Commerce Ministry that it has been engaged in the export of the organic brown cane sugar for the last three years under special authorisation issued by the Ministry of Commerce. Now the government has allowed export of the organic brown sugar through amended Export Policy Order. One of company's consignments of organic brown cane sugar is presently on the Kemari East Waharf 15 port. The custom authorities are not allowing the sugar to be exported as they told the company's clearing agent that this commodity is banned by the government and the exporter has to obtain the special permission as usual. The unit has also communicated the names and designations of the customs officials, who are not allowing export of organic brown cane sugar.

Therefore, the company had requested that the Custom authorities on all concerned ports might be directed to cooperate accordingly, the unit added.

The order of the Commerce Ministry dated December 28, 2011 said: In exercise of the power conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1950 (XXXIX of 1950) the Federal Government is pleased to direct that the following further amendments shall be made in the Export Policy Order, 2009 namely.

In the aforesaid Order in Schedule in Column (I): a. against s.No.6, the entry in column (4), shall be omitted, and b. against S. No.10 in column (4), the words "Organic Brown Sugar", shall be inserted, SRO added.