The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has empowered the Chief Collectors of Customs, North and South, to co-ordinate with the provincial governments, law enforcement agencies and board's specialised organisations for enforcement of tax laws, detecting violations of Customs Act 1969 by the business community.
The board on Saturday issued the Customs General Order (CGO) 15 of 2007 to specify the operational functions and powers of the Chief Collectors Customs, North and South.
According to the CGO, the board has empowered Chief Collectors for inter-collectorate transfer of officers (BS 16-18) within their jurisdiction. However, inter-regional transfer/posting of BS-17 and above officers would continue to be made by FBR.
The CGO has elaborated that the Board-in-Council has approved new structure of Customs Department in the country. The new structure is based on re-organising the department on functional lines, as far as possible. Under the new structure, the country has been divided into two regions--North and South.
The North Region will consist of Model Customs Collectorate, Peshawar; Model Customs Collectorate, Rawalpindi; Model Customs Collectorate, Lahore; Model Customs Collectorate, Multan; Model Customs Collectorate, Sambrial and Model Customs Collectorate, Faisalabad.
The South Region comprises Model Customs Collectorate of PACCS, Customs House Karachi; Model Customs Collectorate of Appraisement, Custom House Karachi; Model Customs Collectorate of Exports, Custom House, Karachi; Model Customs Collectorate of Port Muhammad Bin Qasim, Karachi; Model Customs Collectorate of Preventive, Custom House, Karachi; Model Customs Collectorate of Post Clearance Audit, Custom House, Karachi; Model Customs Collectorate , Hyderabad; Model Customs Collectorate , Quetta and Model Customs Collectorate, Gwadar.
The two regions will be headed by a BS-21 officer, with the designation as Chief Collector. The main objectives for the appointment of Chief Collectors are to provide senior level operational heads in the field so that day to day operational issues faced by the Collectorates and by the clients of the Customs Department are addressed and resolved expeditiously, enabling the Board to concentrate on policy development and formulation. Chief Collectors will report to FBR Member, Customs.
About the territorial jurisdiction, the CGO has highlighted that the office of Chief Collector (North) will be located in Customs House, Lahore, and of Chief Collector (South) in Customs House, Karachi.
The number of posts, logistic support and budgetary allocation for the offices of the Chief Collectors are being issued separately by the Admin Wing of the Board. The operational and administrative powers and functions of the Chief Collectors will be as follows:
Chief Collectors will be the focal persons for implementing all reform initiatives under Tax Administrative Reform Program (TARP). They would also be responsible for all development and welfare schemes (other than TARP) and for co-ordination of capacity building program in the region. For carrying out these activities, Chief Collectors shall co-ordinate with respective Members of the Board and DG (Training).
They may exercise the powers of all officers of customs (under the Custom Act, 1969) subordinate to them in their respective jurisdiction. The Chief Collectors shall supervise and monitor the performance of the Collectorates in their jurisdiction, and would advise them appropriate measures to improve their working.
They will co-ordinate with the Provincial Government, other law enforcement agencies and specialised organisations of the CBR within their respective jurisdiction.
They have been given the assignment to keep close liaison with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and other trade bodies for redressal of their grievances.
The Chief Collectors shall provide input to the CBR for policy formulation. All proposals for changes in policy made by the Collectorates will be endorsed to the Chief Collector.
About the administrative powers, the CGO says that the Chief Collectors in respect of their own offices shall exercise the powers of a head of a department under the fundamental rules and supplementary rules. They shall be the appointing authority for their offices (of the staff up to BS-15).
They shall also initiate Performance Evaluation Reports of all Collectors of Customs in their jurisdiction and shall be the countersigning officers for Additional Collectors of Customs in their jurisdiction, the CGO added.
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