Exporters' rebate claims up to August 2014 cleared: Khokhar

Chief Collector Customs-Exports (Enforcement South Zone) Zahid Ahmed Khokhar said here on Wednesday that presently no rebate claim of exporters was pending with the customs as all claims up to August 2014 have already been cleared. Addressing exporters at the office of Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), he assured them all facilities and support, saying that exporters' rebate claims are being cleared under a very latest and systematic process with zero favour to anyone.
Pakistan Customs had already cleared all rebate claims till August 2014 and if any claim of this period remains pending it would be cleared at once, he added. Pakistan customs has already installed scanners for fast examination of export consignments, he said, adding that though a number of scanners are available, some expertise and training of customs staff was required to handle them properly.
Replying a question, Khokhar said that customs authorities always try their best to facilitate exporters by avoiding delays in examination of the consignments, still if there is problem in this regard it would resolved immediately. He urged the exporters to depute their staff at ports for repacking of consignments opened for physical examination.
Referring to the case pertaining to gold export, the chief collector informed that recently some eight more persons involved in the case have been arrested and their five days remand ended on Wednesday. He was of the opinion that exporters should hold a meeting with the officials of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to discuss their examination process and other ANF-related issues.
Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Apparel Forum's chairman Muhammad Javed Bilwani said that clearance of exports cargo be expedited at Karachi Port and Port Qasim to save the exporters from bearing extra cost on account of delayed shipment. He said that whenever clearance of export cargo by the Customs or ANF was delayed, the exporters fail to send their cargo through shipping lines but with a view to honouring their commitment with the importing countries they get their cargo airlifted and suffer losses, instead of earning profits. Bilwani also urged the customs authorities that clearance of exporters' consignment be given priority.
He also complained that the cargo meant for export was badly handled sometimes during the checking process at the ports and as a result of which face difficulties in getting their cargo consignments repacked before catching the designated shipping lines. PHMA's (Sindh-Balochistan Zone) chairman Abdul Rasheed Fodderwala said that exporters in Bangladesh were being given higher rebates and as such making them competitive in the region whereas Pakistan exporters are uncompetitive due to high cost of doing business.
He said that exporters should be given more incentives for increasing export. SITE Association of Industry's Chairman Muhammad Junaid Makda, Collectors Customs (Exports), Karachi Port, Dr Saifuddin Junejo and Collectors of Customs (Exports) Port Qasim and Karachi Port Agha Shahid Majeed Khan and Jabbar Gahiani were also present.