Release of containers: FBR tells field formations to make preparations

The Federal Board of Revenue has issued instructions to the field formations to make preparations for the release of the Nato/Isaf containers destined for Afghanistan, it is learnt. Sources said here on Wednesday that the government has not imposed any transit fee on the Nato/Isaf containers.
However, the government may impose existing taxes/fee on Isaf/Nato containers which are presently applicable on transit trade consignments to Afghanistan. This may include scanning fee on each container, service charges on processing of GDs, monitoring of containers using tracking devices and any other applicable fee/charges on transit trade consignments.
Sources further stated that the FBR has directed the relevant Collectorates of Customs including Model Customs Collectorates Quetta and Port Qasim to start making arrangements for the clearance of the consignments of Isaf and Nato. In this connection, a letter of the Ministry of Interior addressed to the Director General Rangers has been faxed by the FBR to the relevant Collectorates of Customs. At present nearly 2,000 containers of Isaf/US and Nato are awaiting clearance at Karachi and the field formations would make necessary arrangements for clearance of the Isaf/Nato containers destined for Afghanistan. The customs authorities would start the process of release of Nato/Isaf containers from Karachi through land routes of Chaman and Torkham to Afghanistan.
Sources said the FBR has also received a letter of the Ministry of Interior addressed to the Director General Rangers. In its letter, the Interior Ministry has asked the DG Rangers to provide proper security to the containers of Isaf and Nato. The letter of the Interior Ministry to the DG Rangers has specifically talked about providing foolproof security to the Isaf/Nato containers, sources added.
The government has brought back all the Isaf/Nato containers from Chaman and Torkham to Karachi and placed them in a secured environment to prevent any incident of stealing or burning. In the past, all Nato containers were called back to Karachi stuck up on way to Chaman and Torkham borders. These containers are loaded with goods to be supplied to the international forces in Afghanistan, but were stuck up as Pakistan disconnected the supply line in the wake of Salala border post attack by Nato forces.
Sources said the FBR had introduced an enabling provision in the Customs Act 1969 to collect transit fee on Isaf/Nato containers. However, an enabling provision ie Section 129A in the Customs Act, 1969 has not been invoked by the FBR. According to the provisions of the Section 129A of the Customs Act, a transit fee may be levied on any goods or class of goods in transit across Pakistan to a foreign territory at such rates as the Board may, by notification in the official Gazette, prescribe, it added.
However, the powers under Section 129A of the Customs Act, 1969 have not been exercised by the FBR. This means that there would be no transit fee on the resumption of Nato supplies to Afghanistan. Presently, there is no official restriction on clearance of Afghan commercial cargo under the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).