The new automated system for fast payment of duty drawback, being introduced by the Collectorate of Customs (Export), will ensure online payment to the exporters through banks.
This was stated by Collector of Export Javed Kazi, while talking to a delegation of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), led by Waqar Ahmed Monnoo.
Under the new system, the exporters would not be required to file a separate application and the Goods Declaration (GD) would serve as a composite GD for the purpose of drawing duty drawback.
Giving details of the meeting, a spokesman of the Collectorate said on Wednesday that the Collectorate was seeking computer codes of the commercial banks branches to electronically pass on the payment advice.
He said that the software would do the entire processing of duty drawback claims, including determination of rates in the light of concerned SROs, and then intimate online the amount of payment to the commercial bank branch.
The payment would be made by the banks after the receipt of Bank Credit Advice (BCA).
The spokesman said that the new system would considerably save time and energy of the exporters, who were required to make several visits to the Customs House for the job.
Earlier, the exporters were required to file duty drawback claims after the receipt of the BCA, which usually took 120 days, but now the payment would be made immediately with the receipt of the advice. Initially, as a safeguard against computer fraud, a hard copy of the payment advice, along with the electronic message, would also be sent to the banks.
The Aptma delegation was further informed that the Mate Receipt (MR), which provides proof of shipment, was also being computerised to allow swift processing and payment of duty drawback claims.
The Aptma delegation appreciated the facility provided by the Collectorate to the exporters and acknowledged that despite controlling 76 percent of the country's exports, there were absolutely no problems.