'Electronic Payment Module to be operational by December'

Electronic Payment Module, developed by the Pakistan Customs with the assistance of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), will be operational by December 2017, said Collector Appraisement West. Speaking at a meeting of FPCCI standing committee on Customs agents held at Federation House here, Collector Appraisement West Shehnaz Maqbool said Customs department had finalized e-payment module with central bank and the system would be operational by December 2017.
She said that the Customs department was now in process of issuing IDs to the SBP officials for operating Weboc system for the purpose. She said that two booths were also being established at SBP head office and Customs House to facilitate the taxpayers in paying duty and taxes. The department besides working to develop similar e-payment module with National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) is also in deliberations with the bank to increase more branches for duty and taxes payments, she added.
Furthermore, she said that issue related to regularize provisional licenses of Customs clearing agents was also under discussion with FBR and Directorate Training and hoped to settle it shortly. Meanwhile, Arshad Jamal, Chairman FPCCI Standing Committee on Customs said that the imposition of Regulatory Duty (RD) was not justified as the government through the said decision could not yield desired results but encourage smuggling, which would create negative impact on local industry and revenue collection as well.
He said that the consignments arrived before the imposition of RD should be treated under the clause 4 of import policy order as the said provision allowed the authority to release the same at old values. However, the FBR officials have refused to implement the said clause with the rationale to have no instructions from ministry of commerce in this regard, he maintained.
Moreover, he said that FBR officials during meeting admitted that they opposed the proposal of imposing RD in order to minimize the balance of payment but the same had been enforced under the directives of Prime Minister.
Resultantly, over 1000 containers are presently stuck at ports as importers are reluctant to pay RD on these containers arrived before its imposition, he said and urged that these consignments should be released at old values to facilitate the traders, who are now being forced to bear excessive financial burden in terms of demurrages.
Qamar Alam, Chairman FPCCI Standing Committee on Customs Agents suggested the collector appraisement west to increase the cap of $500 to $10000 for the submission of Electronic I-Form as this measure would improve foreign exchange and revenue collection as well.
Shakeel Dingra, Chairman Standing Committee FBR said that the Customs department should clear the consignments at declared value if the provisional assessment was not finalized under prescribed period. Meanwhile, Saqib Fayaz Magoor, Vice President FPCCI said that RD would not help the government to enhance foreign reserve but it would promote smuggling. A large number of clearing agents also attended the meeting.