There is no possibility of any 'custom amnesty scheme' for regularisation of non-duty paid smuggled vehicles in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in the coming budget, official sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday.
Responding to a query whether Central Board of Revenue (CBR) is considering any proposal for the regularisation of cars in Fata at concessionary rate of custom duty and sales tax on a one-time dispensation, officials said, "CBR will neither propose any amnesty for such vehicles in the budget 2004-05 nor favours such schemes, as the past amnesty schemes failed to get the desired results."
Another reason for not starting amnesty scheme is that the grant of amnesty in one part of the country will be resented by people of other areas as being discriminatory.
The CBR anticipated that there is no assurance that future smuggling of vehicles will be stopped. As a result, there may be a need after some time for yet another amnesty as three amnesties granted in the past on the same grounds failed to eradicate the menace of smuggling, officials added.